Hear Me
by reindeerface
Summary: Laxus hasn't fought Natsumi since the Harvest Festival, and after his reinstatement and the conclusion of the GMG, he's content to keep it that way. Natsumi would do anything to take on the lightning mage, not understanding his motives for constantly refusing her. What follows is the train wreck that is two mages learning to understand one another. Features Genderbent!Natsu.
1. It's a Bird! It's a Train!

**AN:** This is my first story, and it sprang from the desire to explore some of the criticisms I've had while watching and reading Fairy Tail. It's my favorite series, but I've never been completely comfortable with how some of the female characters were treated, especially poor Lucy. I wanted a female character that was brash, rowdy, and unapologetically so (the likes of which animation hasn't encountered since Korra from LoK), so I thought it would be fun to explore how Natsu would interact with the world if he had been written as a female character. Therefore, I took the liberty. I tried to make Natsumi as in-character as possible, and I hope I haven't let anyone down or offended anyone in the process!

This story takes place in an AU after the Grand Magical Games arc, but all events leading up to that are identical (Tenrou Island, the Battle of Fairy Tail, etc.). From there, it diverges into what I've written.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **It's a Bird! It's a Train! No, it's an Idiot in an Asshole Costume**

 _September 1, X777_

 _Laxus couldn't believe the Old Man. He knew that he was probably going senile in his old age, but that was no reason, in Laxus's opinion, to open up an orphanage. He'd thought it was weird when he took in that girl Cana a few years ago when she came in whining about finding her dad, but she was quiet and stayed out of his way, so he looked past it. Then there was that mouthy kid that was constantly taking his damn clothes off, which was way creepy for an eleven year old._

 _He even kept quiet when Erza came along the year before. She was just as obnoxious as the rest of them, but she was talented and she kept the nudist kid in line, so he could at least tolerate her most of the time._

 _But he knew this kid was going to be a pain in the ass._

 _She stood a few inches shorter than Gramps, glaring up at everyone as he introduced her as Natsumi Dragneel, the newest guild member. She was covered in dirt and bruises, and her ostentatious pink hair stuck out in all directions, smeared with what he hoped was mud. The kid, though he couldn't tell how old she was, looked half-wild, and the way she was mean-mugging everyone immediately pissed him off._

 _"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Natsumi," Erza said as she walked up to the girl, towering over her. "What brings you to our guild?"_

 _The shrimp looked her up and down, then gave her a loud sniff. What a fucking weirdo._

 _"I'm looking for my father, Igneel," she said, her voice chirpy and high._

 _Great. Another kid with daddy issues. He swore Gramps was making a collection._

 _"Oh?" Erza said, eyes widening. "Well I'm sure we could help you find him. What's he like?"_

 _The kid's eyes lit up. "Well, he's the best! He taught me all the magic I know! He's the smartest, fastest, strongest dad ever!"_

 _Everyone laughed at her enthusiasm, but it made Laxus want to gag. Her old man was probably dead. That, or he'd taken off, just like Laxus's own had._

 _"I'm sure he is," Macao said from his seat at one of the tables. "But could you give us a physical description?"_

 _She nodded vigorously, her hair bobbing up and down. "He's huge and red, almost as big as the guild hall! He's got shiny scales and sharp claws and breathes fire—"_

 _"Is this kid serious?" Laxus couldn't contain himself, walking up to the crowd. "What the hell are you even talking about?" he sneered at the slip of a girl._

 _She glared at him, "I'm talking about Igneel!"_

 _"Your father's a giant lizard? I thought_ my _old man was a drag."_

 _"Take that back!" she shouted, and Gramps had to grab hold of the stupid white scarf she wore to keep her from attacking Laxus. "Don't call Igneel a lizard, you jerk! He's the King of the Fire Dragons and he'd roast you alive for saying something like that!"_

 _He laughed at her. "Sure, kid."_

 _"Are you sure you aren't confused, Natsumi?" Erza asked. "No one has seen a dragon in—"_

 _"I'm not confused and I'm not lying! Igneel's my dad and he taught me Dragon Slayer Magic!"_

 _"And I'm the long-lost Prince of Fiore," Gray spat out from behind Erza, struggling out of his shirt._

 _"I'm telling the truth!"_

 _"Stop lying! No one believes you!" the shirtless boy yelled at her._

 _"Oh yeah? Well how about this?! Fire Dragon's Roar!"_

 _Erza ducked in surprise as a huge fireball erupted from the tiny girl's mouth. Gray wasn't as quick, and was thrown backward into the table where Macao and Wakaba had been playing cards with Cana. Laxus blinked. Well, that was something._

 _"Dragon Slayer Magic, huh?" he asked the kid, quirking one blonde eyebrow._

 _"I told you," she grumbled, crossing her thin arms over a heavily bandaged midsection._

 _"Was a party trick like that supposed to scare me, Flame Brain?!" Gray yelled, standing up on the table. "Ice Make Lance!" he shouted, and shot a barrage of sharp spears toward the girl._

 _The girl nimbly dodged the projectiles and rushed toward the boy, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" she slugged him with an ignited right hook, dropping him. As Gray got back up into his Maker Stance, Laxus caught the look his grandfather shot him._

 _Of course. Now that the Old Man accepted the new brat, Laxus was stuck playing babysitter. Perfect._

 _As he walked over to the brawling children, Macao and Wakaba cleared out, an alarmed Cana following behind him. Gray and the new menace were about to throw haymakers at each other when he acted, engulfing them both in a pillar of golden sparks._

 _Both kids dropped. Gray moaned softly, then rolled off the edge of the table with a loud clunk. The girl lay motionless, her back to Laxus. He scoffed. For all that bluster, she sure was a lightweight. Now he was going to get an earful from Gramps about overdoing it. Moving closer, he was about to poke her in the side when she shot up, a blinding smile on her face._

 _He stepped back, eyes widening._

 _"That was awesome! You use Lightning Magic?! That was so cool!" she stood and waved her arm in the air._

 _"Uh…yeah, sure. Whatever," he said, not sure how to respond to this girl's apparent excitement at getting her ass handed to her._

 _"I'm serious! Come on, do it again. Fight me!" she put her tiny fists up, pantomiming punches._

 _She couldn't be serious. What was Gramps thinking when he picked up this psycho?_

 _"Not going to happen, Pinky. I'd crush you as easily as I did now."_

 _Her determined expression didn't waver as he spoke, though she did drop her fighting stance._

" _Fine. Then I'll get stronger, so you'll have to fight me!" she promised, pointing at him in challenge._

" _Don't count on it," he scoffed._

" _You'll see, …" she stopped, tilting her head to the side, her shorn hair pointing straight up. "Hey, what's your name, anyway?"_

 _Oh yeah, she was going to be the biggest pain in his ass._

* * *

August 28, X791

"Laxus! There you are, you coward!"

The lightning mage in question sighed at his table and chugged the remaining contents of his drink. He'd just paid for the damn thing, and when the impending conflict occurred, it'd just get spilled. Knowing Mira, she'd make him pay full price for another one.

The diminutive fire dragon slayer stomped into the guild, letting the cool night air in through the doors she'd just slammed open. Her teammates followed her in, but once they traced her line of sight to Laxus, they made themselves scarce, Lucy pulling Happy by the tail over to the bar.

Laxus watched her advance with a growing sense of frustrated resignation. She had a fire in her eyes, her long cherry blossom hair billowing behind her in a thick snarl. He swallowed the lump in his throat as she marched toward him, not looking forward to what would be another repeat of what had been close to a weekly occurrence since returning last month from their victory at the Grand Magic Games.

She stopped in front of his table and pointed at him.

"Tonight. Let's go. You and me," she challenged with a determined glare.

He sighed. So it was going to be this same old shit again. Lovely.

"No," he said flatly.

"Yes!"

"I said no. Now leave me alone," he shooed her away with a flick of his hand.

Natsumi slammed her hands down on his table, knocking over his cup like he'd expected. The girl didn't do anything quietly. She leaned forward, glaring, but her intimidation tactic was lost on Laxus, who was still nearly eye level with her, even from his seated position.

"Fight me," she ordered him.

He narrowed his eyes. "Go fight Gray."

She huffed. "I spent the last two days fighting that bastard. I'm here to fight you! Now take that stupid coat off and get ready!"

Laxus shook his head, choosing to ignore her crack about his coat. "Give it up, Nat. I'm not fighting with you. Ever."

Sagging against his table, she whined. "But why?" She drew out the last syllable, her eyes going wide and lip jutting out in an attempt to butter him up. Pushing down the guilt that threatened to surface every time she did this, he remained firm, pulling out his standard excuse.

"You don't see me agreeing to fight Levy, do you? Grow ten inches and then we'll talk."

She flushed with anger. "That's not fair! Of course you wouldn't fight Levy, she's not a combat specialist! Sorry, Levy," she called over to where the Solid Script mage sat with Jet and Droy. The bluenette only smiled and shrugged, waving off the unintentional insult.

The blonde man was tired of having this conversation with her. "Life isn't fair. Get over it."

Natsumi wasn't about to let him get away with the same flimsy excuse he always used, he could tell. "I'm plenty strong enough to take you on!" the pink-haired girl yelled at him.

He was going to have to pull out the big guns, then.

Leaning back in his seat, he smirked at her. "Says the girl who still can't last more than a minute against Erza?"

He watched in amusement as rage overtook her, her face turning a color that rivaled the shade of Titania's hair. "I haven't fought Erza since before the Games! I'm much more powerful now, so get off your ass and fight me!"

God, she was so stubborn. When she'd first insisted on fighting him, he'd found it funny and even a little endearing. But as the weeks went on and she refused to drop it, he only got more irritated, wondering why she wouldn't leave him the fuck alone like he asked, or why it mattered so much to her. He thought he'd been resigned to his fate of being forced to turn her down, but now she was just pissing him off.

Through trying to be nice to the little pest, he narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm not going to fight you," he told her in a voice that he'd used to talk to small, obstinate children in the past, when he'd been about three seconds from drop-kicking them. "Not now, or tomorrow, or next week. Never. So get it through your fucking iron skull, alright? _Leave me alone_." Laxus growled out.

"Listen here, buddy, I—"

"I said leave me alone!" he boomed, shooting out of his chair to get in her face.

To her credit, she didn't even flinch, only continued to glare balefully as he snarled at her, inches away. He struggled to hold onto the burn of his anger as they continued their standoff. Her spicy, smoky scent invaded his nose, and his head swam.

When he began to grow worried that he may have to be the first to break in their silent battle, she saved him by pulling away to release a bellow of flame. Screaming in frustration, she kicked the chair immediately to her right, sending it flying, crashing into an unsuspecting bystander.

Luckily for Laxus, that bystander happened to be Gajeel, who'd been holding a sleeping Pantherlily.

"Oi, watch what the fuck you're doing, Salamander!" he shouted, putting Lily down and rolling up his sleeves.

Natsumi, still fuming, glared over at the iron dragon slayer. "Shut up! You should've been paying attention!"

"To what? You getting rejected? I've seen it before, and it's embarrassing," Gajeel taunted. The small girl bristled further.

"Come here and say that to my face, Pinhead!" she threatened.

The black haired man laughed. "Gladly! If Spark Plug won't kick your ass, I'll be happy to put you in your place!" Not waiting for her charge, he activated his magic, sending an iron pole at full speed to where Natsumi stood.

She jumped it easily, landing on top of the pole with the grace of an acrobat, and ran along it to strike a blow of her own, both fists blazing. The dueling dragon slayers soon dissolved into an indiscernible tussle of broken furniture and kicked-up dust. Laxus relaxed, slumping back in chair as he watched them brawl. He almost wished they weren't moving so fast so he could see properly.

She really was enthralling to watch when she fought. He admired how she always went all out in every fight, no matter how thoroughly outmatched she was. Despite being one of the smallest in the guild, the little shit was scarily strong, and could take a beating like no one else he knew, except maybe for Erza. It still baffled him how someone so small could take down the people she had, his mind flashing back to Tenrou Island when she'd dealt the final blow to Hades, and then to the Games, when she'd singlehandedly dispatched Sting and Rogue with seemingly no effort—despite having taken the brunt of their strongest spells. It'd been amazing.

In light of all that, he wasn't surprised to see Gajeel hit the wall after Natsumi clobbered him with a flaming fist.

"Had enough now?" she taunted the older dragon slayer, still sounding pissed.

Her opponent laughed, wiping his forehead. "You wish," he answered her, before the two engaged once again. Laxus knew the iron dragon slayer was fighting a losing battle, though. There was no stopping Natsumi when she was legitimately angry, and Gajeel had no motivation to fight as hard as she was. It'd only be a matter of time, he thought, smirking.

"You know she's only going to get more insistent from here on out, right?" Mira said as she came to refill his glass, snapping him out of his thoughts.

The lightning mage glared at the barmaid. "Mind your own business."

"Why don't you just spar with her? It's not like she's asking for a death match, and it'd make her whole year," the young woman smiled at him, completely ignoring his angry expression.

He snatched the glass out of her hand. The sneak was probably trying to con him into buying another round. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

She laughed. "I guess not. But you're only making things worse by not being honest with her…or yourself." The Takeover mage quirked an eyebrow at him, a hand on her hip.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he spat out, "but if I wanted to be lectured about this shit, I wouldn't have sent Freed home."

"They're just worried about you. So am I, frankly. No one understands why you insist on things being this way."

He was not in the mood for this shit. Mira was nosy on the best of days, and he definitely didn't need her poking around in his brain.

"Whatever," he groused, standing up. "I'm getting out of here while she's still occupied. I'll settle my tab tomorrow morning."

Mirajane pouted, but nodded. There was no use in trying to convince Laxus to do something on anyone's time that wasn't his own. "You won't be able to run from this forever," she said in a low tone as he pushed past her.

He swept out of the guild with one last backward glance to ensure Natsumi hadn't spotted him, not bothering to respond to the barmaid's comment. She didn't know what she was talking about, anyway, and would better served doing her actual job instead of butting into other people's affairs.

As he walked through the cool night air back to his apartment, though, he couldn't stop her words from knocking around his brain.

Maybe he couldn't avoid it forever, but Laxus would be damned if he wasn't going to try.

* * *

By the time Natsumi finally managed to knock Gajeel unconscious, the guild was emptying out for the night. She looked around after wiping her bloodied nose and noticed that Laxus was nowhere to be found. Whatever his problem was, she was getting tired of it. She didn't understand why he couldn't just fight her like she asked, even if she wasn't as strong as he was.

It didn't matter if she had to ask him every day for the next year. Sooner or later, she'd get him to fight her, and then he'd regret letting her get so strong in the meantime.

Dusting her hands off, she walked over to the bar where Lucy was eating a bowl of strawberries and ignoring Happy.

"Did you work off your frustration?" her friend asked her dryly as she looked Natsumi up and down, taking in the rips in the girl's vest and the crusted, dried blood around her nose.

Clicking her tongue, the dragon slayer hopped onto a stool beside Lucy, glaring at the counter top. "No. That hunk of junk is a sorry consolation prize. He's almost as bad as Gray."

"Are you sure about that? It's been a while since Gray drew blood. Give Gajeel some credit."

She shrugged and offered her arms to Happy, who readily jumped into them and nuzzled her neck.

"I guess. It was a lucky shot, though. I wasn't paying attention."

"Does it hurt?" Happy asked, pulling back to look up at her with wide, concerned eyes.

She managed a smile for her oldest friend. "Nah. It's not even broken," she reassured. For good measure, she gave him a scratch behind the ears.

"You're lucky, then. Your looks are one of the only things going for you. Lose those and all that'll be left is your personality," Lucy mumbled as she continued munching on the strawberries.

Natsumi stole a handful, ignoring the blonde girl's protests as she shoved them all in her mouth at once.

"That's not very nice, Lucy," Happy admonished. "Are you mad because Natsumi is prettier than you are?"

"I didn't say that! And no, I'm not!" she defended, glaring at the cat.

Swallowing, Natsumi smiled at her friend. "That's okay, Lucy. You can be prettier, I don't mind." She punctuated the statement by stealing another strawberry.

"Your generosity is truly astounding," Lucy remarked in a flat voice.

The dragon slayer shrugged, oblivious to the celestial mage's sarcasm. "Hey, do we have any food at the apartment? I'm hungry."

"I am, too," Happy agreed, rubbing one eye with a tiny paw.

Lucy's eyes widened. "You're eating right now! And we ate dinner before we got back—you still owe me the money for that, by the way." She mentally added that to the ever-growing mountain of Jewels the shorter girl owed her, despite knowing that she'd probably never see any of it. Sometimes she still kicked herself for letting Natsumi move in with her all that time ago, but it'd seemed like the best decision at the time, especially since she and Happy were already there most nights. Plus, it took a strain off the need to make 70,000 Jewel a month by herself just so she could keep her apartment. But even between the two of them, their team's destructive tendencies made footing the bill for their shared rent and Natsumi's extensive grocery needs difficult at the best of times.

"So…" the pink-haired girl blinked at her friend, "does that mean there's food at home, or…?"

"No, there's not! Now let's go before you rack up more of a tab with Mira, if she hasn't already cut you off since the last time."

Without further preamble, the blonde dragged her roommate from her seat and out of the guild before she could get herself into any more trouble, calling a quick goodbye to Mira over her shoulder on the way out.

Once they were out in the coolness of the autumn air, Natsumi felt herself calm down, both from her fight with Gajeel and her standoff with Laxus. With Happy sitting happily on her head and Lucy beside her, she was happy to be with her friends as they all walked home together. She wanted to put the night behind her and look forward to tomorrow. Maybe Laxus would come to his senses then.

"Did you ever think that Laxus is avoiding you for a reason?" Lucy asked her as she climbed up to balance on the stone wall overlooking the river, waving at the fisherman docking in for the night.

"Like what? You think he's scared?" Natsumi asked her, snickering. Maybe he'd decided he didn't want to mess with her after watching her beat Sting and Rogue. She guessed that was fair, but she fought against Erza all the time, even though she scared the hell out of Natsumi. It didn't seem like a good excuse, even if the thought of Laxus being afraid filled her with pride.

"Uh, yeah, I don't think that's it," Lucy quipped.

Happy looked to Lucy from his perch among the rat's nest that was his friend's hair. "Do you think Laxus just doesn't like Natsumi?"

Lucy laughed, "Honestly, I would have bet money on that before, but now I'm not so sure. It took him a while before he actually raised his voice, don't you think?"

Natsumi shrugged in response. She hadn't really given it much thought. She'd tried to get him to take her on so many time since he'd been reinstated, and he'd refused her each time. Just the fact that he didn't want to fight her made her want it even more. She wanted it so much, craved his respect as an opponent so badly, that she burned with it. The reasons for his refusal didn't bother her; only that he had them, and she wasn't willing to accept that.

"You're really not going to let this go, are you?" Lucy asked her, stopping her balancing act to turn directly toward her friend.

"Why should I? I'm not the one who's being all weird about it," she grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest.

Lucy was worried. She couldn't tell why this situation had her feeling so on edge, but it did. Laxus was being way too cagey about everything, and she had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to his refusal to fight Natsumi than he let on.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Not giving up, I mean."

"Yes! He's being stupid and he doesn't even have a good reason for saying no."

The celestial mage smacked herself in the forehead, nearly knocking herself into the water in the process. "That's what I've been trying to tell you! Maybe he _does_ have a reason and doesn't want to tell you! It's not like he owes you an explanation."

"It's not my problem if Laxus is being a big weirdo," Natsumi pouted.

"He may be acting suspicious, but you're being pretty weird, too," Lucy laughed and resumed her walking, the focus of maintaining her balance on the narrow wall helping to order all the thoughts that were flying through her head. "It's not like you to be so obsessed with stuff like this. I've never seen you so upset over something for so long. It's kind of freaking me out, honestly."

Natsumi sighed, reaching up to pet Happy's fur. "I don't know why it makes me so angry. But when I see Laxus acting like such a baby, it just fires me up, you know? He didn't get all weird about it when he fought me and Gajeel before Gramps kicked him out. He went all out against us!" She frowned, then, thinking about how much had changed since then.

"And when he wouldn't fight me in the forest after he moved back to Magnolia, I thought it was just because he wasn't part of the guild anymore. But when Guildarts let him back in, I thought I'd finally get a chance to show him how much more powerful I got, but then he just turned his nose up at me like he did when I was a kid, and it pissed me off!"

Her hands started to shake when she remembered every refusal he'd given her. Every half-assed excuse about her being too little, too young, too stupid. They were all bullshit, but she didn't care. She just wanted a chance to prove to him that she could hold her own and make him eat his words.

"I don't like being so angry at one of my guild mates, but I just can't help it! It's just…not fair!" she finished, taking in a large breath.

Looking at her friend's distress, Lucy decided to drop it, hoping that a good night's sleep would bring her back to her normal enthusiastic cheerfulness. She hoped that whatever was going through Laxus's head, he was doing a better job at sorting through his side of things than Natsumi was, and if not, she worried that the guild was in for far more trouble than anyone anticipated.

* * *

 **Note:** And so ends the first chapter of what turned out to be a saga. Strap yourselves in, 'cause we're in for a long ride. And thanks for reading! I'll update within a few days to a week, depending on the response, though I also understand that since this is sort of a niche thing. If you feel inclined, drop a review! I'd love to hear feedback.


	2. The Road to Hell

**AN:** Thank you all for the response to the first chapter! I really appreciate every view and favorite, and special thanks to Acnologia Prime for their extremely sweet review. I told myself I was going to wait at least a few days before updating, but I couldn't help myself, so here it is!

We finally get to see what's troubling Laxus, and learn that Mirajane has the patience of a freakin' saint. Bless her.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **The Road to Hell is Paved with the Good Intentions of Sleep-Deprived People**

It was weird, Laxus thought, to dream about yourself, but have absolutely no control over what you did.

The familiar nightmare played out like a drama as the doors to Kardia Cathedral opened, and one after another, dream-Laxus dispatched his teammates with a demented smile, first Mystogan, then Erza.

He knew what came next, but desperately tried to wake himself up, not wanting to bear witness to his memories. Like always, his subconscious forced him to watch as Natsumi begged Erza to let her take over, charging forward to his dream self when the scarlet haired girl relented.

Laxus watched their battle rage on, neither one gaining the upper hand, waiting for the moment when his snarling face, purpled with rage, would roar out an attack that would nearly kill Natsumi.

Only this time, Gajeel didn't swoop in at the last minute to pull Natsumi out of the way. To his horror, he watched himself laugh maniacally as Natsumi was engulfed in a sea of sparks, her screams echoing off the expansive walls of the cathedral. His dream-self continued to taunt the dragon slayer over the sound of her screams, walking towards her.

He saw himself reach through the wall of lightning to grab the girl by the throat. Laxus watched in shock as Natsumi continued to struggle, coughing up rivulets of crimson blood as she clawed at his hand. He screamed at himself to wake up, desperate to escape what was literally becoming his worst nightmare.

"What now, Nat? This is what you wanted, right? To go toe to toe with me?" Dream Laxus asked her, drawing her closer as the sparks dissipated. He squeezed her throat tighter, a cruel smile on his face as she yelped and gasped for air.

"I do have to tell you, I expected more," Dream Laxus continued, oblivious to the blood dripping over his hand as he held Natsumi in the air. "But you wanted me to go all out, and I couldn't disappoint you, could I?"

Laxus fought back a gag as his dream self brutally forced his mouth on Natsumi's, forcing her mouth open with his tongue. She squealed and kicked her legs, using the last of her energy to fight him off to no avail.

He saw himself pull away then, Natsumi's blood dripping down his own face as he grinned at her. "Such a waste," he said casually, and brought his other hand up, snapping her neck with practiced ease and dropping her limp body unceremoniously to the floor.

Laxus knew he was screaming, desperately trying to go to Natsumi, who lay crumbled and still on the stone floor of the cathedral, but he couldn't move, his limbs frozen in place. He sobbed out her name, wanting to go to her and hold her unmoving body close more than he'd ever wanted anything. As he stared at the calamity before him, his dream self only laughed, and the scene began to change before his eyes, the stone walls melting away to burning forest.

His guild members rushed toward him in a mob, knocking him down and back as they tried to escape the chaos of the encroaching inferno.

They paid him no mind except to trample over him, Gray and Erza spitting as they passed.

He tried to stand up, to follow them in an attempt to outrun the flames, but more people kept coming, kicking him back down into the dirt. He saw Lucy, who sneered and pointed, lips forming words he couldn't hear over the roar of the fire.

The heat was almost unbearable, and he crawled forward, skin scraping against the ground.

The crowd disappeared as a deafening roar split the sky. Laxus looked up and saw the sky go dark, the sun's light blocked by an immense form that rapidly fell to Earth. Landing with a force of an earthquake, Acnologia loomed over him, the sheer mass of him overwhelming.

"Coward, Traitor, Comrade Slayer!" the dragon hissed, his voice shaking the foundation of the ground beneath. "You will burn as she burned, and may you spend eternity with her screams!"

The dragon then opened his gaping maw and Laxus was consumed in flames.

* * *

Screaming himself hoarse, Laxus shot up in bed, sweat dripping down his bare back and chest. His heart hammered in his rib cage, not slowing until he took in the darkness of his bedroom and assured himself that he hadn't just witnessed some depraved version of himself murder Natsumi.

The blonde took several deep breaths, trying to come down from the dizzying adrenaline high that had come upon him as he relived his deepest regrets only meeting the barest hint of success.

He noticed he'd kicked his sheets into a tangled mess at the foot of the bed, half hanging onto the floor. From the scope of the nightmare, he was honestly surprised that he hadn't managed to inadvertently strangle himself while he'd been sleeping. Running a hand through limp, sweat soaked hair, he got up from the bed, knowing there wasn't a chance in hell he'd get any more sleep, even if he wanted to.

Stripping out of his sweats, he stumbled into the bathroom and turned the shower on the highest setting it would go. He embraced the feeling of the scalding water pelting his skin, but even the pain couldn't shake the afterimages of Natsumi's unseeing eyes boring into his from his mind. The lightning mage hastily scrubbed the sweat from his body, trying to think of something, anything, to distract him from the memory.

Deciding he couldn't stay in the stifling darkness of his apartment, Laxus hastily threw on whatever clothes his hands touched first and was out walking the street before he had time to think about it any further. Giving his body something physical to do usually helped him calm down, and tonight was no exception, the tension in his shoulders loosening as he made his way down the street, no specific destination in mind.

He wasn't sure why his dreams had decided to take such a morbid turn lately. He'd always had nightmares of his attempt to take over Fairy Tail, been haunted by the guilt of betraying his family and of nearly destroying his hometown. He'd thought he'd been doing a pretty good job of dealing with it, but he'd never been able to forgive himself for what he'd done to the little dragon slayer that day.

Logically he knew he was being ridiculous and that she could hold her own—and had. She and Gajeel had been the victors that day, even if had been due in part to his own inability to fully deploy Fairy Law. But he'd nearly killed her several times over, put her in bandages that nearly covered her from head to toe, and she'd _smiled_ at him when he'd come back to the guild the day of his excommunication. She'd smiled like they were still friends. Like she'd forgiven him.

He felt nauseous as he ambled down the street, fist shoved in his pockets. He'd been so close to becoming the monster he'd seen in his dream. If Gajeel hadn't arrived when he did, he knew deep down that he would've killed her in his berserker rage and been forced to live with the consequences. He would've taken everything from her: her smile, her free will, her life, and it would've ended up killing him, too.

Even if he spent the rest of his life in service to Fairy Tail, he doubt he'd ever forgive himself for how close he'd come to being beyond redemption. He'd already betrayed her trust and her friendship, as well as the one promise he'd made to her when they'd both still been kids.

* * *

 _March 12, X778_

 _Laxus cursed his grandfather for sending him out on babysitting duty. That pink-haired shrimp had only been at the guild for a few months and she managed to cause as much trouble as both the stripper kid and Erza combined. He thought it was stupid for him to have to go after her on a mission as inane as this. Finding a lost pet was literally child's play—perfect for her—and she'd even had that freaky cat thing she'd hatched along with her. But no. She'd managed to ruin both her first solo job and Laxus's evening simultaneously._

 _He angrily stomped through the forest in the direction Gramps had said she'd gone to look when he heard the unmistakable voice of the biggest pain in his ass to ever exist._

" _If you want your hands on him, you're going to have to go through me first!"_

 _He rolled his eyes, but picked up his pace, wondering what she'd managed to get herself into this time as he heard another voice, a man's, laugh._

" _I thought I was going to get my hands on the bird, but a flying cat isn't something that you see every day. Hand it over and I'll think about letting you keep all your fingers."_

" _Happy's not an 'it,' idiot! And like hell I'd ever let you take him! Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" she screamed, and he saw the telltale flash of red flame through the trees up ahead. Laxus cursed, breaking into a run. He burst through the trees into a clearing just as Natsumi got kicked into the dirt by a man three times her size._

" _Bad decision, little girl. I don't take kindly to people getting in my way, and now you even drew out a witness," he kicked again, knocking the air from her lungs. Laxus's eyes widened when she got to her feet, still staring at the huge, greasy man with a look of pure malice._

 _She didn't say anything else. Without warning, she leaped into the air, arms unleashing twin streams of fire onto her enemy in a wing attack. They hit him, and he stumbled backwards, hitting the ground in a heap and not getting up. After a few seconds, Natsumi gave out a cheer and held her hands out to the cat, who flew into her arms. They cuddled before him, making him roll his eyes. They were going to pay up for making him come all this way just to waste his time watching them fight a lightweight._

 _They were still embracing when he saw the man move out of the corner of his eye, so quickly he almost didn't catch it. The blade raced straight to the celebrating dragon slayer and her cat, and Laxus didn't think before he threw himself forward, tackling her out of the way as the right side of his face exploded in pain._

 _Laxus acted on instinct, calling up a devastating blast of lightning from the hand that wasn't clutching his face. He heard the man let out a gurgle as he dropped. He didn't let up, continuing his assault until Natsumi yanked on his shirt._

" _Stop! You're bleeding!"_

 _He removed his hand from his eye with a hiss and saw that she was right. Blood covered his entire hand, and he felt warmth pour down his cheek and drip down his chin. He noted with detached surprise that he couldn't see out of his right eye._

" _Oh God, Laxus, we've got to get back. You're going to need like, a million stitches," she said in a worried voice. She tugged on his clean arm, trying to get him to follow her, but he found himself getting dizzy with the loss of blood. With wide eyes, she threw his arm over her narrow shoulders and began to lead him back out of the forest to the guild._

" _Thank you for saving me. That knife probably would've killed me or Happy," she whispered as she picked her way through the forest, him nearly bent in half as he leaned on her for support. He wondered if he'd killed that motherfucker. Part of him hoped he had._

" _I'm sorry you got hurt because of us," she continued when he didn't respond to her._

" _Yeah, whatever," he mumbled, feeling dizzy. "Just don't make me regret saving your ass, alright?"_

" _I won't!" she said fiercely. ""I promised I'd get stronger so you'd fight me seriously, right? Well, now I'm promising to get even stronger than you, so you won't ever have to get hurt protecting me! I'll be able to protect you instead!"_

 _He laughed, and he felt more blood gush beneath his t-shirt, which she'd tied over her his face as a makeshift bandage. "We'll see about that," he slurred. "But until then, I guess I'm going have to keep watching your back. There's no point to any of your promises if you don't live long enough to do any of that shit."_

" _Alright," she agreed. "But I'm not going to let you protect me forever!"_

" _We'll see."_

* * *

Laxus brought a hand to his face, tracing the familiar scar that cut into his eyebrow and down into the flesh of his cheek. At the time, he'd believed protecting her to have been a burden, and he'd been glad when she grew strong enough to look after herself, though he'd still thought of the scar as sort of a badge of honor. Now, though, he wished the scar gone. These days it was hard to even look in the mirror without being reminded of just how much he'd screwed up. It was bad enough when his guild mates stared at him like some sort of oddity, like they were afraid he'd suddenly yell 'Gotcha!' and revert back to the person he'd been before expulsion. Even after the Grand Magic Games, it'd felt too easy to just come back into the fold and _be_. It made his skin crawl to get all the warmth and friendship he'd craved during his exile, especially from Natsumi, like it was some cosmic joke to suddenly possess everything he'd realized he wanted on a silver platter.

Because he did want it. Badly.

The universe must've really wanted to run its sense of humor into the ground, Laxus thought, when he realized he'd unconsciously ended up at the front gates of the guild hall. He sighed and moved to rest his head against the cool metal of the bars. He knew he probably still didn't deserve to be home, but he couldn't stop from being selfishly glad that he was.

Laxus gripped the bars on either side of his head, fighting the urge to childishly bang his head against the gate. He could handle—had been handling—the friendlier interactions people had with him since rejoining the guild, if pressed. With time, he knew he could probably even grow to forgive himself for his attempted coup, but he could never be comfortable with the way Natsumi just accepted him after everything. He couldn't ever let her close because he was just as weak as he'd always accused everyone else of being. He couldn't reconcile the guilt he felt with the need to be close to her. He shouldn't want to be anywhere near the walking reminder of his monstrous past, but he did.

Laxus wanted everything she would give him, and that was the problem. He desperately wanted every smile, every half-baked retort, every bit of attention she gave. He craved it. And the weakest, most pathetic part of him knew that if she offered more, he'd want that, too. He wanted everything with her, and he hated himself for it. After everything, he knew he'd never deserve anything she offered him, no matter the form it took. But he knew he'd never stop hoping that he could, and because of that, he couldn't go against her as an opponent ever again. He wouldn't be able to handle hurting her a second time.

He supposed that was why his nightmares had finally stopped towing the line and leapt from miserable to fucking unbearable. The more insistent she got that he take her on, no holds barred, the more the memory of the uncontrollable, horrifying rage he'd felt that day bubbled to the surface, simmering under his skin. He didn't want to think of himself as that person anymore, but part of him wondered if he still was, and Laxus feared that exile had only chained the monster instead of killing it entirely.

Fuck, his head hurt. He may have calmed down from the terror of his nightmare, but he was far from okay. Judging from how the moon was still high in the sky, he figured he'd only gotten a few hours of sleep, and Mirajane or Kinana wouldn't be around to open the gates for hours. He let go of the bars and shoved his hands into his pockets, deciding to continue on. There was no use in hanging around like a creep.

He spent hours strolling through the empty streets, grateful for the opportunity to walk through his hometown without the stares of a bunch of nosy people that insisted on treating him like either a celebrity or pariah, even though he'd spent his entire life among them. He passed the deserted stalls of the market, idly fascinated at how such a normally lively place seemed almost eerie in the dead of night. The whole city seemed more ominous at night, and Laxus thought that he preferred it to its normal bustle, having spent enough time on his own to appreciate stillness when he could get it.

Despite the peace he'd managed to find in the empty streets, he soon felt fatigue creep into his body, slowing his stride and making his eyelids droop. The lightning wizard didn't really want to sleep, given how well that was currently working for him, but he knew himself well enough to know that he couldn't continue on much longer. His earlier panic had robbed him of his usual stamina, and fighting back would do him more harm than good.

The way back to his apartment was so familiar, he managed it on autopilot, reaching the small complex near the forest's edge without incident. He slipped his key into the lock of the door and shouldered it open, immediately kicking off his shoes. Some part of his brain not completely robbed of its ability to form conscious thought was thankful for the overwhelming, panic-fueled fatigue. It meant he'd sleep hard, too tired to come up with any more fucked up delusions about killing his loved ones.

Sighing, he slipped back into bed just as the first rays of sunshine peaked in through the curtains. As he drifted off, his exhaustion finally letting him drift into unconsciousness, he decided that Natsumi would just have to find some other way to occupy her time. He couldn't—wouldn't—ever raise a hand to her again. Not that way. He'd done it once and she'd barely been able to walk afterwards. She'd never understand his reasons, never be able to accept why he couldn't bring himself to face her again, so he wasn't even going to try. It was better off in the long run if he stalled her long enough for her to lose interest. Maybe then the nightmares would finally ease and he'd get to keep what was left of his sanity.

* * *

He was still tired when he rolled into the guild early that afternoon. His earlier reaffirmations were tested almost immediately when Natsumi's head snapped in his direction, as if she'd been waiting for him to enter. Knowing her, she probably had. She marched up to him, demanding to spar, and grew visibly enraged when he denied her once again. He pedaled his standard excuses off on her—telling her he didn't have time and had at least 80 pounds on her. Laxus watched her turn a more and more alarming shade of red as he went on.

She opened her mouth, and he braced himself for another tirade when Lucy and Gray appeared behind her, each grabbing an elbow, and hauled her out of the guild, babbling something about finding a job for the day. As they left, she screamed at him, warning him that he better be ready next time. He didn't doubt her, but that didn't stop him from hoping she'd just let it go.

He sighed and headed to the bar. Maybe food would help distract him from the way his life seemed to be spiraling out of control these days.

Mira raised an eyebrow at him as he took a seat, but only wordlessly took his order. At least, that's what he thought. The minute he plowed into his burger, she was on him, that half-suspicious, half-smug look of hers plastered on her face.

"Rough night?" she asked him, taking in the prominent dark circles under his bloodshot eyes.

He shrugged. There didn't seem to be any use in hiding it, not when a blind guy could see how shitty he looked.

"Didn't get much sleep," he said simply, hoping she'd drop it.

But he knew Mira, and she was just like everyone else in this damn guild. She couldn't stand to leave trouble alone.

"Does this have anything to do with a certain pink-haired dragon slayer? About yea high?" she laughed, holding her hand to her chin.

He shushed her through a mouthful of burger. Swallowing, he glared at the barmaid.

"Why don't you talk louder so that they hear you in the rafters?" Seriously, did no one here ever bother with whispering? Or subtlety? Or even basic privacy?

She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, please. Look around, it's empty here. It's the end of the month, so everyone's taking last minute jobs to catch up on rent. It's lucky for you that Lucy and Natsumi are always behind on theirs, since it saved you today."

True to her word, the guild really was empty. Sneaking a glance behind him, there were only a few chronic request wafflers still at the request board, and he thought he saw someone's feet sticking out from a table in the corner, but other than that, there didn't seem to be another soul on the bottom floor. At that realization, he let himself relax, slouching down against the bar counter in relief.

"Thank fuck for that," he sighed. He really hadn't been prepared to face her again today, even though he knew it'd been a near certainty.

The corners of Mira's mouth turned down. "Are you alright? I know Natsumi's been getting on your nerves, but this isn't like you. Showing up late, not sleeping properly, I mean. And where's your team?"

"Home? I don't know. And I'm fine, it's just been…weird, recently."

"Everyone's getting worried about you. I know things have been different since the Games, but you've never been one to back away from a direct challenge from anyone. Wait!" her blue eyes widened as she mentally flipped through Laxus's extensive history of dispatching opponents. "You never fought against Natsumi, did you? Even when we were kids, you never let her." He mouth dropped open in realization. "So that means the only time you fought was at the Harv—"

"That's enough, Mira," he cut her off in a stiff voice, not liking how she'd hit the nose on the head with so little effort. He knew Mira was perceptive, she'd always been, but he wasn't going to get into this with the gossip queen of the whole damn guild.

"Is that why you've been so agitated? You feel guilty?" she asked in a gentle tone.

"I said drop it," he said through gritted teeth, clutching the edge of the counter with one hand.

Her concerned expression froze, then shifted into a fierce glare.

"No, I won't drop it. You're worrying everyone and you don't seem to care. It's even affecting Natsumi! Have you ever seen her consistently angry at anyone like this before? Because none of us have. Lucy came to me this morning to ask if I had any advice because she's worried sick about her. If you want to be a brooding mess, than that's your business, but this is bigger than you, Laxus, and it's high time you start noticing it." She lectured him, pointing at him with a piece of flatware she'd been polishing.

"It's not my problem if the little shit can't learn to deal with being told no," he grumbled, disturbed but not cowed by Mira's reprimand.

"You and I both know it's not about that, so stop playing stupid. She thinks you don't respect her; that you don't think she's good enough to bother with, and it's really getting to her. You don't live in a vacuum, and it's about time you start owning up to the consequences of how you treat her."

He froze at her implication.

"Don't fucking lecture me about facing consequences, Mira. You try spending a year in exile and then you can talk to me about goddamn consequences. Look, I'm sorry she thinks that, but I can't really help it. I'm not going to fight her, and that's final." Mira didn't have any right to act like he was some sort of walking middle finger to Natsumi's existence. She was the one that kept coming to him, not the other way around. Plus, he was already facing the consequences of what he'd done. If she knew the extent, maybe she'd be worrying about him instead of Natsumi—not like it really mattered. He'd take his current lot any day if it meant he never had to be faced with a repeat of what he'd done to her all those years ago.

Mira sighed. "I know you don't think any of those things, but she doesn't. Why don't you just tell her the real reason? That you feel guilty?"

Laxus pushed away his half-eaten meal, no longer feeling any sort of appetite. "Because I don't want to. Plus, you know Nat. She wouldn't understand, anyway."

"I don't think you give her enough credit. She's one of the most forgiving people I know," the barmaid smiled, trying to encourage him. It just made him feel nauseous. "You have to know that she was over the fight the minute it ended, right? She'd never hold it against you."

"That's not the point! Knowing she forgave me doesn't make any difference." He couldn't begin to explain to her why the thought of Natsumi's forgiveness made him feel so sick, and he wasn't going to try.

She put a hand on her hip, leaning towards him from behind the bar. "Why not?"

"Because it won't change anything. It still happened, and nothing I do can change it." No matter how much he wished he could.

The barmaid was confused, not understanding his logic. "Why can't you just accept her forgiveness like you have with everyone else and move on? Maybe sparring will give you the chance to put it behind you."

"I'm _never_ going to hurt her again." He'd die before he did. It was just as much for his own well-being as well as Natsumi's that he not engage her again. He knew he wouldn't be able to take it.

"Laxus, no one said anything about hurting her. I know accidents happen, but she's strong. Resilient, as well."

"Doesn't matter. I'm not taking that chance."

He was infuriating, but his stubborn words didn't match his body language. "Why are you taking it this far? I know you feel guilty, but this is extreme, especially for a comrade that doesn't even hold a grudge in the first place." Laxus shifted in his seat, his fist clenched and an uncomfortable, pained expression on his handsome face.

"I'd take making her unhappy over making her dead any day."

Mira looked at him as he spoke, watching his expression darken and his shoulders tense. Before her very eyes, he was confirming the suspicions that she'd had since the Magic Games before. It was written all over the dark circles under his eyes, in the sullen way he carried himself, in the guilty expression at the mention of him causing Natsumi pain.

"You care about her," she concluded. The blonde man reeled back, nearly falling out of his seat in the process. He looked at her with huge eyes, and she fought the urge to laugh, knowing that if she was going to help him, she couldn't make light of the situation.

"Jesus! What? No. Why would—"

"Laxus!" she stopped his blustering, but continued on in a quiet tone. "It's pretty obvious, now that I think about it. I thought it might be something like this, but I'm actually kind of disappointed in myself for never putting the pieces together. Growing up, I knew that you had a soft spot for her, even when you couldn't stand anyone else." It was true. Laxus had always been so closed off. Mira herself had been closest in age to him once she joined the guild, and they'd had a sort of kinship in that, but he'd never seriously confided in her. Mira supposed that had been due to her abrasive personality and her constant teasing about him being Natsumi's babysitter. After Lisanna disappeared and she no longer wanted to go on missions, he'd stopped talking to her completely, and it was only after his reinstatement that they began to rebuild their friendship.

Looking back, though, she realized that the seeds of whatever Laxus was feeling had taken root long ago. Injuring Natsumi so badly during his coup must have weighed heavily on the lightning mage, and Mira felt her heart go out to him. She briefly wondered if this was similar to what Elfman went through when they thought he'd killed their little sister. Her brother still had nightmares, despite the fact that she was safe and sound.

The man across from her couldn't believe what he was hearing. If he was that transparent, who else would be connecting the dots? He knew Natsumi would never, at least not on her own, but Lucy was smart. Would she tell her?

Seeing the worry fill his eyes, Mira reassured him. "It's alright. I'm not going to tell anyone, but you need to tell Natsumi. She deserves to know the real reason you won't fight her, otherwise she's going to keeping believing that you think she's weak." And the Takeover mage knew that would eat at Natsumi. He at least owed her the honesty that he showed everyone else.

"That's literally one of the most stupid ideas I've ever heard. And Bickslow's had some stinkers," he said once he reigned in his shock.

"But you care about her! Laxus, you _love_ her! That's not something you can just try to pass over. She knows something's wrong, and she's going to keep wondering until you tell her."

"I'm not telling her shit. And neither are you," he glared at her, waving a fork of his own in her face to make sure she got the point. She scoffed and batted it out of the way.

"Name one good reason why you can't tell her," Mira challenged him, eyebrows raised.

"She's basically a kid, and I'm not a fucking creep."

The white-haired woman openly laughed at that, not bothering to try and control her laughter when he was being so ridiculous. "You're five years apart, Laxus, not fifty. I'm pretty sure Natsumi is old enough to make her own decisions, even if she doesn't always act like it. It's insulting to try and decide what's best for other people, you know."

"Even if she could make that call, she wouldn't. You know how she is. She'd just laugh it off or not understand it in the first place," he shrugged. Though that wasn't his main reason, he'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it in moments of weakness. She knew she was attached to everybody. Hell, she fought like a demon on behalf of Fairy Tail. He knew she loved them all, but he wasn't so sure if she could _love_ anyone the way that most people seemed to be able to. Whether that was due to her maturity level or just her personality, he didn't know.

Mira scoffed. "We're making progress, but try again. But for the record, don't go assuming you know what goes on in people's heads just because they act a certain way. You don't know if she thinks about that or not, and it's not fair to reduce her to some infantile stereotype just to make yourself feel better—or worse."

She didn't let him protest, stopping the retort on his lips with a sharp raise of her hand. He wasn't going to interrupt her. No one else would tell him this, and he needed to hear it so he could get it through his thick skull.

"I think you're scared. What if she accepts you? I don't want to deny how guilty you feel and how afraid you are of hurting her again, but she's not a porcelain doll. No one in Fairy Tail is, but probably least of all Natsumi. You're using all this as an excuse to run away from what's bothering you so you can pretend it'll go away. You're scared of rejection…but you're also scared of her returning your feelings."

"Don't tell me what I think. You don't know shit, Mira, so get off your high horse," he bit out, tired of her lecturing. At this point, he'd maybe chance another tongue lashing from Natsumi, for all the good this was doing him. "I'm out of here," he got up, not looking back at the She-Devil. "Tell the team I'm at home if they come by looking for me."

"Don't walk away just because you've run out of excuses!" she called, contemplating throwing something at his rapidly retreating figure, but thinking better of it. She'd renounced violence unless absolutely necessary, and while Laxus was obnoxious and evasive, it wasn't worth it.

As she watched him walk away, she sighed, hanging her head. She just wished Laxus would listen to reason instead of just plowing on ahead with his unilateral decisions like they didn't affect anyone else. The sooner he learned to stop deciding things for other people, the better off he'd be. Judging by his current behavior, however, that would still be a long time coming. She just hoped Natsumi wouldn't suffer too much while he figured it out.

The lightning mage was looking forward to chalking up the day to his poor night's sleep when a booming voice called out to him just as he approached the guild exit.

"Laxus!" he turned at the voice of his grandfather, and turned to see him emerging from the basement.

"What, Old Man?"

"You heard what Mira said. Get your act together!" So the old bastard had been eavesdropping. That was perfect. With his luck, everyone would be jumping down his throat about it by tomorrow morning. Shuddering at the thought, he contemplated the merits of faking sick for a few days, reputation be damned.

However, he felt himself unable to respond with anything other than his standard defensiveness. "I don't go sticking my nose into your business. Leave me alone." Laxus didn't even bother to raise his voice. He was tired and guilty, and he didn't want to hear anybody else tell him just how badly he was screwing up when he already damn well knew that. Without waiting for his grandfather to say anything else, he pushed open the guild doors and walked out into fading afternoon sunlight, not looking back.

Makarov watched his grandson depart with a frowned etched on his aging face. That good-for-nothing grandson of his was hopeless. It didn't take a genius to figure out why he'd been so out of sorts, and Makarov knew that if Laxus didn't resolve his issues with Natsumi, he was heading for another huge disaster.

"I'm sorry, Master. I tried," Mira apologized, frowning at the doors Laxus had disappeared behind.

"I know you did, and thank you for talking to him. If it'd been me, he wouldn't have even come clean about his feelings. Don't take it too personally. I swear, that stubborn brat is more troublesome than any of the rest of you combined. He's the reason I lost my hair!"

Mira laughed, but it was hollow. She couldn't shake the feeling that Laxus stood on the precipice of something important. Shaking her head, she got back to work organizing the dinner menu for that night, silently hoping that when the time came to face whatever was in store, Laxus would make the right decision.

* * *

 **Note:** Poor Mirajane, she cares so much. And poor Laxus. I've always felt that after the Harvest Festival, Laxus probably wouldn't have gotten over what he did. Especially after Tenrou Island and he becomes a precious awkward cinnamon roll. It makes my heart hurt.

Anyway, that's the doozy that was this chapter. Not much dialogue, but I thought it was important to get inside Laxus's head, since he's not one to share with others. I hope you enjoyed it, and as always, drop a review if you feel the urge! I'm having so much fun sharing this story and I hope you have fun reading it.

-reindeerface


	3. The Hottest Mess, in More Ways than One

**AN:** I was so surprised at the responses to the last chapter! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me this far, and especially to those of you who subscribed and favorited. I hope I can continue to entertain you!

After two chapters of exposition, the plot thickens! Prepare yourself, because shit's about to get real.

* * *

 **The Hottest Mess, in More Ways than One**

Natsumi hadn't slept that night, nor had she eaten. Despite Lucy's repeated attempts to mother hen her, she'd been inconsolable after being pulled away from Laxus the day before. She knew that Lucy and Gray were trying to distract her, and that had only made her angrier. In a rare fit of temper, she managed to burn down one of the silos at the farm they'd been tasked with clearing encroaching wolves from, and they'd lost their entire reward as a result.

Lucy would have been enraged at the loss, since this was the second time in a row they'd be late on rent, but one look at her friend brought her back down to Earth. Natsumi hadn't stopped trembling, nor had her face relaxed into the easy grin she was known for. For the first time since she'd known her, Lucy had been afraid of the small dragon slayer. Gray and Happy luckily noticed her foul mood as well and kept their mouth shut about both the job and the real reason for Natsumi's temper.

It'd made for an awkward trip home, for sure.

For Natsumi, it felt like she was one word shy of boiling over. She couldn't remember when she'd felt so angry, so insulted, so _betrayed_. If she'd been thinking more clearly, she would have felt guilty for flubbing the mission and putting her friends through so much trouble, but all she could see was red. Laxus's words bounced around in her head like a broken record, telling her she was weak and small and stupid in his sneering voice.

She'd make him see that she was serious. If he refused to treat her like a true mage and comrade, she'd show him just how strong she'd become.

After a sleepless night spent pacing the floor of her room, and after ignoring the wide-eyed looks of both her roommates, she left the apartment that morning without a word, stomping down the familiar streets that would take her to the object of her fury.

* * *

She threw open the guild doors with a blast of flames, and everyone's eyes shot to her. Her eyes frantically moved from the bar to the banister of the set floor to the stage, and her heartbeat sped up when they landed on the tall, muscular form of the blonde lightning mage.

Paying her guild mates' confused looks no mind, she marched toward Laxus, who refused to meet her gaze. That was fine, she decided. She knew he'd try to play the coward just like he always did. But today, she wasn't going to let him.

She approached his table near the stage silently, unblinking. The three Thunder Legion mages looked at her with amused stares, Bickslow barely managing to suppress his laughter. Natsumi ignored them, facing their leader with her shoulders square and her head high, although her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides.

Facing away from her, Laxus didn't acknowledge her presence. After several seconds, Natsumi snapped and shot forward, hooking one of her feet behind the legs of his chair, jerking it away from his table and forcing him to face her.

"I'm giving you one last chance," she growled at him, teeth barely managing to grind out the words in her anger. "Fight. Me. Now."

He only stared at her evenly, and she felt her blood boil when she realized he wasn't looking her in the eyes, but at her chin.

"Answer me, you spineless bastard!" she bellowed and reached for him, hauling his considerable weight up by the collar of his shirt so their faces almost touched.

Her head felt like it swam with fire, and she couldn't think of anything other than how she wanted to punish him, to make him feel as small as she felt every time he looked down on her. But he only continued to stare at her blankly.

She felt herself lose control, her limbs moving on their own as she wound back and socked him as hard as she could in the face, feeling a sickening crunch under her fist. Her hand tingled at the contact, but she didn't let go of her hold on him. When his face turned back to look at her again, he was still calm, though blood poured from his nose and down his chin.

The Thunder Legion was shouting at her, but she didn't turn to look at them. She only stared, fixated by Laxus who, even though his nose was probably broken, was still intent on giving her one last insult. He broke their eye contact, letting himself stay firmly in her hold, to nod at his teammates, telling them to stand down.

That was the last straw for Natsumi. The draconic rage within her completely took over, and she let out a shriek that echoed off the walls of the guild. Her entire body ignited, and both her and Laxus were consumed in the ensuing inferno. Before anyone could stop her, she attacked, putting all of her titanic strength into throwing Laxus across the room.

He flew.

The lightning mage struck the wall with such force that he careened through the entire structure, shooting out the other side and crashing into the paved surface of the courtyard. With a hiss, he stood up, slightly shaky from the herculean feat the small dragon slayer had managed to accomplish.

Natsumi emerged from the hole she'd created, burning with both rage and her own flames. With another war cry, she launched herself at him, pummeling him with her fist. She howled with rage when he made no move to block or strike back, even though she left herself open for a counter several times over.

"Fight back, coward!" she howled at him. The girl seized him once more by the collar and brought his head down, slamming her own against the front of his skull in a vicious head butt.

He saw stars, but didn't return with a blow of his own. Laxus only stumbled back and caught himself before he fell once more.

"Do you hear me?! I said fight back!" She shot out with another kick, catching him straight in the gut. The blonde wheezed, but it was the follow up to the sternum that had him doubling over.

Natsumi was far passed the point of thinking. Only her uncontrollable fury drove her forward, lashing out with all the power in her small frame; power that had taken down dark guild masters and dragon slayers alike. She would make him see. She would make him pay.

Grabbing his arm, she yanked it forward, throwing him over her hip and sending him back to the ground. She felt his arm give as she twisted, and he cried out, the first noise he'd bothered to give her sense she entered the guild.

"How am I supposed to get stronger if you don't let me?!" Natsumi screeched at him, looking down at Laxus's prone form as he brought a hand to his shoulder. He sat up slowly, but she landed a kick to his jaw that sent him back down.

In some part of her brain not covered by the animalistic urge to _punish_ and _destroy_ , she wondered why her target was blurring before her, only to realize with a jolt that she was crying. With one hand feverishly scrubbing at her eyes, she kicked him again. How dare he make her feel guilty!

"How can I be worthy of your respect if you don't let me earn it!" she shouted at him to cover up the rising volume of her own conscience. This was his fault! He brought this on himself! He thought she was a sniveling child that couldn't hold her own in a pinch. It didn't matter if he wasn't fighting back. If he wanted to be beat within an inch of his life, then she'd make him feel the full force of a dragon's anger.

"Goddamn you," she sobbed out, kicking him again, tears running down her face when he only groaned, but didn't pick himself off the ground.

 _How dare he? How dare you do this to me? How dare you betray me?_

She towered over the bulky man lying on the ground. Blood still poured out his nose and his left arm was limp underneath him, but still she kicked him. Over and over, until she couldn't see past her tears.

"You bastard. I'll never forgive you for this." And she wouldn't. Not now and not ever. Laxus, after bearing the full force of a rampaging Natsumi, slipped quietly into unconsciousness. This went unnoticed by his berserk attacker, who only saw his hazy form go still. Taking it as a sign of his continued refusal to get up and accept the power of her wrath, she broke once more.

"I'll never forgive you!" She screamed, voice high through her tears. Vision blurred, she readied another attack, only to be hit from the side with the force of a small army. An iron grip restrained her when she landed several yards away from Laxus with the breath knocked out of her.

"Gray, get the Thunder Legion and take Laxus to the infirmary. Lucy, go find Wendy." Erza's voice commanded from above her. Natsumi didn't try to struggle against her hold, knowing it'd be useless even if she wanted to escape. She felt no compulsion to fight anymore. The surprise of the attack had snapped her back to reality, and she sobbed anew, face pressed against the pavement. Gone was all her self-righteous fury and her bloodthirsty need to break Laxus down to the size she felt. All that was left was shame. Shame for her actions against a guild member, and shame for letting her anger get the best of her. But most of all, she felt ashamed because she'd only proven him right. She'd been stupid and weak and childish.

"Are you done with this nonsense?" Erza said, although her grip didn't loosen.

Natsumi could only gag through her wrecked sobs, barely managing a nod.

"I'm going to let you up now. If you try to run or struggle, you will receive no mercy from me. Do you understand?" the older girl asked.

Natsumi's chest hurt, just as much from her sobs as from how Erza's knee was pressing her into the ground. She couldn't respond verbally, still too inconsolable to offer a yes or no to the question, but she felt the pressure on her back let up regardless.

For several long moments, Natsumi didn't want to get up. She wanted to be swallowed up by the ground by the sheer force of the guilt she felt. All of her rage turned inward. She'd lived her entire life devoted to her family, her comrades, and she was no better than Laxus had been at his worst.

"Come, Natsumi. Lying on the ground won't make you feel any better. Master wants to see you."

Taking in a long, wavering breath, Natsumi stood up. Her legs felt shaky, and she still thought she might throw up at any moment. She wiped at her face, trying to quell the tears that rained down her face, but failed.

Wordlessly, she followed the Requip mage back into the guild and up the stairs, where the Master was waiting in his office.

"Thank you, Erza. You may leave us now," Gramps said as both he and a crying Natsumi took their seats.

The scarlet haired woman merely nodded and exited the room, shutting the door behind her. Gramps sighed then, sinking into his chair.

He took in the sight of Natsumi across from him. The girl was barely holding it together, and he could tell she was trying to face him bravely and accept her punishment with honor. That little brat made it so difficult to be mad. But rules were rules, and he wasn't about to give special treatment to the girl just because he admired her resolve.

"I'm sure you know what you're here for," he began. Natsumi nodded, taking in a deep breath.

"Am I going to be exiled?" she asked quietly. He would've laughed if not for the heartbroken, resigned expression on her face as she looked at her right shoulder, at the guild mark she'd had for most of her life.

She actually thought he was going to expel her.

Makarov huffed, his mustache twitching. "Of course not. For one, this situation is completely unlike the Harvest Festival, and therefore doesn't warrant expulsion. You didn't threaten the guild at large, nor did you almost destroy the entirety of Magnolia. You even challenged an opponent capable of defending himself."

When she sank with relief in her chair, he glared. "But don't think for a second you're getting off that easily, missy!" He warned her, and she looked contrite once more. At least she didn't look like she was about to cry, he thought. He wasn't good with dealing with criers, and it was a more than a little disturbing to see someone like Natsumi so compromised in the first place.

"I don't find anything about your behavior acceptable or excusable, despite not being worthy of expulsion. Just because my stupid grandson let himself get beaten half to death doesn't excuse your malicious and reckless actions. I know the situation with Laxus has been difficult for you—and if you talk to him, you might see that it's been the same for him—but you're an adult. It's time you learn some self-control."

She nodded, her head hanging in shame once more.

"As for your punishment," he continued, watching her shoulders stiffen. "You'll be paying for the damage to the building, as well as having your job earnings garnished for your next several jobs. In addition to the standard five percent guild cut, you'll be handing over an extra thirty as penalty for your actions. Maybe stretching your food budget will teach you not to throw people through walls."

Natsumi nodded, grateful that he hadn't decided to make her do something weird like a punishment game or manual slave labor. She knew Lucy would be furious with her, since the celestial mage would have to pick up slack for their rent, but it could've been worse. She still felt terrible, but having time to sit and deal with her emotions made it more bearable. No longer feeling like she was going to be sick, she allowed herself to think of what she'd have to do next.

When she thought of facing Laxus again, a small ember of her anger rekindled. She regretted what she'd done, for sure. When he didn't fight back, she should've known something was wrong, but he'd still treated her with as much disrespect as any guild member ever had, and Master seemed to agree with her. But she dreaded having to look at him, knowing that there was something wrong enough to make him let her nearly kill him.

Between the guilt for hurting him, the anxiety of seeing him again, and the last remnants of self-righteous wrath, she knew that she wasn't looking forward to what lay ahead.

* * *

The feeling of a feather being dragged across his face woke Laxus up, and he sneezed.

Which hurt. A lot.

"Please try to stay still," chimed a sweet voice from above him, and he opened his eyes to Wendy's smiling face, soothing despite her youthfulness. "Sorry about that. I should've pulled my hair back before tending to you." The young girl leaned back to give him space to examine his surroundings. Laxus was briefly confused as he realized he was on one of the standard-issue infirmary beds, stripped to the waist and covered with a soft, white sheet.

All of the memories of the fight came rushing to the forefront of his mind, and he groaned. He'd fucked up, he knew, but it'd seemed like the only thing he could have done at the time. It only took one look at her to know she was on the warpath. Hell, she'd looked like a goddamn avenging angel, with her eyes full of fury and her hair flying behind her. She'd threatened to unleash holy hell on him, and she'd delivered in spades. He'd known she was powerful, having been witness to her taking down countless powerful adversaries, himself included, but she was much more powerful than she'd been the last time he faced her, and she hadn't even used any advanced spells on him just now. She hadn't been kidding when she said she'd grown.

Judging by the pain radiating through his entire body, she'd done a number on him. And he'd deserved it. He hadn't intended for it to go this far, nor had he had it in mind, but something in him settled at having been so thoroughly trounced—albeit willingly—by Natsumi. He'd gotten comeuppance for all the shit he'd put her through before, and though it was fucked up, he felt lighter than he had before.

"Laxus? Do you understand me?" Wendy asked him, concerned by the faraway look in his eyes. He focused on her and nodded. "Oh, good," she smiled. "I was afraid you might have a concussion, but judging by how your pupils are responding to light, you're probably fine on that front."

She gave him a once over, and frowned.

"Unfortunately, there are other things to worry about. You've got a few bruised ribs and some pretty serious burns on your arms. I'm pretty sure your nose was broken, but I set it for you while you were unconscious. I was surprised that you didn't wake up for that."

He tried to shrug and tell her he'd slept through worse when a severe pain in his shoulder made him hiss.

"Natsumi dislocated your shoulder, and I couldn't reposition it while you were asleep. So if you don't mind, I'd like to get that over with."

Jesus, he knew Natsumi had messed him up, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad. He just hoped he wouldn't be out of commission for too long, even if he deserved it. Even Laxus Dreyar had bills to pay.

"Yeah, sure. Let's get to it," he agreed, knowing what came next was going to hurt like a bitch.

Wendy nodded, face determined but unworried as she stepped toward him once more. With professionalism far exceeding her twelve years, she grasped his left arm and without warning, expertly popped his shoulder back in. He gasped out a sharp "Fuck!" but it'd happened so quickly, he'd been distracted from the pain. Looking at the young dragon slayer, he realized she'd acted so quickly on purpose.

"Thanks," he told her, impressed with her competency.

She smiled and laughed at his gratitude, waving a hand at him. "It wasn't anything. I wish I could do more, but Master gave me orders to only heal life threatening injuries. He said something about 'fools that purposefully expose themselves to injury should have to deal with the aftermath the old fashioned way.'"

He grimaced, but nodded his understanding. "He say anything else?"

"Not really. He seemed pretty mad that you let Natsumi hurt you when you could've just as easily nullified her attacks, though," she shrugged, but didn't ask any questions about his motives. Not that he had answers for her. He wasn't sure whether her consideration came from a genuine sense of politeness or just out of fear, but he appreciated it all the same. He'd get more than enough nosiness from everyone else, he was sure.

"Speaking of life threatening injuries, though," she continued, gesturing to the burnt undersides of each of his arms, where he'd eventually tried to protect his face from Natsumi's flamed blows. "These burns are pretty severe, but they shouldn't scar over so long as they don't get infected. It's going to be painful, but you have to keep them clean and dry." The girl rattled off instructions on how to care for his injuries as she bandaged him up. When she finished, she bowed and dismissed herself, giving him another shy smile and an order to rest as she left the room.

He leaned back into the softness of the bed, intent on heeding the girl's orders, when the door to the infirmary slammed open and the She-Devil of Fairy Tail appeared in all of her terrible glory, the softness of Mirajane Strauss nowhere to be found on the demon's face.

"I told you," she intoned in a voice devoid of all sympathy. "I told you to think about what you were doing and _this_ is what happens?" she came to stand by his bed and gestured to his bandaged form.

"Look, Mira, I—" he began, trying to explain to her how yeah, it definitely sucked to be lying here, but that he actually felt better, when she shushed him with something akin to a growl.

"You brought this on yourself, and now Natsumi has to live with what she's done to you. You should know better than anyone how painful hurting someone you care about is, so I hope you're happy," she told him, her blue eyes icy.

He hadn't thought about it that way. If the lightning mage was being honest with himself, he didn't think Natsumi would feel guilty at all. Why should she? He was the one that was acting like an asshole. When he told her as such, she poked him hard in the side, and he gasped in pain.

"You are the world's biggest idiot! Did you think that Natsumi, who lives and breathes for everyone here, would be alright with this? She's far from innocent this time, but it would have been so easy for you to end it before it began." He didn't want to admit that she was right, but when it came to Mira, she usually was. This was no different. He shifted to prop himself up on his pillows as she continued, wincing as his bruised ribs shifted.

"You wanted to punish yourself, but that wasn't your decision to make," she continued, not finished with her tirade. "You made her suffer right along with you, so you better tell her the truth about why you've been behaving this way when she comes in here, and we both know she will."

Laxus sighed. "And how the hell am I supposed to do that? I can apologize to her, but—"

"I don't know and I don't care, Laxus," Mira said, sticking her hands on her hips and shifting back into some semblance of her normal self. "But you owe it to her and to yourself. You created this mess and it's your responsibility to fix it. And you love her, right?"

He didn't say anything, but she took his strict refusal to meet her gaze as confirmation. "You want her to be happy?" She clarified.

"Of course. I didn't think she'd care so much, to be honest."

"Let this be a lesson to not underestimate her capacity to feel, then. I just hope she forgives you. She's been miserable enough lately, and we all have you to thank for that. Not that you've been doing a great job of being normal yourself," she quipped.

Then, the barmaid straightened her dress and made to depart, having said all she needed to say to the dense lightning mage. On her way out, she stopped in the doorway and looked back.

"Please do what I say this time, alright? Don't screw it up."

And then Laxus was alone in the expansive infirmary. He knew he should try to get some sleep, especially since he really did feel like shit, but he couldn't; not when he'd managed to get himself into another mess. When she'd come at him so violently, he'd felt relief. By accepting her punishment, it felt like he was finally able to let go of some of the guilt he'd been living with since he nearly killed her all that time ago. But now he'd just inflicted that same thing onto her. He wasn't sure he would, or could, forgive himself if he were her, but he realized that he had to follow Mira's advice this time, otherwise there really would be nothing left to fix.

* * *

Despite this new worry, he managed to doze off, too exhausted from his wounds to keep his eyes open.

He wasn't sure how long he slept for, but he didn't have the cottony, disgusting taste in his mouth that he got when he slept for more than an hour in the middle of the day, so he figured it hadn't been long. Moreover, he heard voices outside of the infirmary. He could tell Mira was there, as well as the smarmy voice of that stupid blue cat. Worst of all, however, was the voice of Natsumi.

The door opened, and the pink-haired girl was pushed in, the door shutting with a definitive click behind her.

He watched her freeze several feet from the foot of his bed, then stare at him. His skin prickled with the heaviness of her gaze. Trying not to let his discomfort show, he stared back, watching her wring the ends of her scarf with her fingers and shift her weight from one foot to another.

After several seconds of deeply awkward silence, he spoke.

"Hey," he said, his voice rough in the stillness of the room.

"Hey," she parroted, but made no move to step closer or say anything else.

Well this was going well, he thought. Should he just get on with it and apologize? Or should he explain himself? He didn't think she'd like either option, considering how pissed she'd been, but then what did he know?

"Wendy told me how bad off you are," she began, surprising him with the evenness of her voice. "I didn't think…I didn't think you'd actually let me hit you. And when you didn't do anything I just got so _angry_. I should have stopped, and I'm sorry for that." She dropped her scarf to stand firm before him, back straight with hands at her sides. "But I'm still angry. I know I shouldn't be, and I was wrong to do what I did, but I can't forgive you just because you let me hurt you."

"Nat," he sighed. "I'm sorry, too."

She scoffed, crossing her arms in front of her. "Yeah? For what?" Her eyes narrowed at him, and he tensed, confused.

"For putting you through this? I never wanted you to feel guilty about putting me in here or anything." Laxus shrugged, but winced again as his recently relocated shoulder ached in protest. He'd have to flag down Wendy for some ice.

Natsumi's mouth dropped open in shock, eyes going wide for one brief moment before she collected herself. "You think I'm angry because you made me feel _guilty_?" she hissed through her teeth, glaring.

"Yes?" He couldn't stop himself from phrasing all his replies as questions. Nor could he stop the sinking feeling he was digging himself a hole, judging from her reactions.

She growled, kicking a chair beside one of the other beds. It scooted several feet away, and Natsumi took another deep breath.

"I'm not angry because you let me hurt you, idiot! Well, I was at the time, but that wasn't what I was angry about in the first place! I feel guilty because I let myself go off like that, but that has nothing to do with you!"

"Then what do you want me to say, Nat?"

"I want you to tell me why you won't fight me! The real reason! Not some excuse about being too busy, or too tired, or that I'm not fucking tall enough!" Her eyes flashed, and he knew she meant business. She may have calmed down from the unthinking, unseeing rage that she'd first attacked him in, but she was far from serene. Sighing, he looked away, gazing at the curtains draped around the unused beds.

He didn't want to take Mira's advice, but he didn't want to have to deal with this anymore, either. Natsumi was making him desperate, and he felt constantly unbalanced and out of sorts. Mira had said to tell her the truth, but would it make her happy? He hoped that maybe if he finally let the count out of the bag, she'd give up trying to wrestle him into a match.

Well, he thought. Here goes nothing.

Looking back at her, he took in a deep breath, not giving himself any more time to think, lest he lose his nerve.

"I won't fight you because," he took another deep breath, preparing.

Natsumi's eyes widened, surprised that he was giving in so easily.

"I won't fight you because I care about you, alright?" Laxus said in a single, fast breath, refusing to meet her eyes again.

She blinked.

Laxus expected her to shout at him, to come to him, to _say_ something, anything. But he hadn't expected silence. His eyes slid back to the dragon slayer, whose hands had dropped once more to her sides.

"Of course you care about me. We're guild mates," she said simply, too confused to feel any other emotion.

"God damn it," he spit, rolling his eyes at her obliviousness. Now that he thought about it, he should've expected this from her. It looked like he was going to have to spell it out in giant, glowing letters to get it through her skull.

"I don't want to fight you just because we're guild mates. It's because I love you."

She still wore that blank look, and Laxus cursed again.

"Love?" she asked. He palmed his face in frustration, careful not to aggravate the burns on his arm.

Trying to be patient with her, he kept his tone non-confrontational. "Yes."

"Me?" she pointed to herself, as if there was anyone else in the room for him to be talking about. "Like… _love_ love?"

"Fucking hell. Yes, that kind of love." It was killing him to have to repeat this over and over when he hadn't been planning on tell her, well, ever. It'd been his weak little indulgence, and now she knew.

But apparently that wasn't enough for her.

"…Are you sure?" Her cherry blossom hair fell sloppily around her shoulders as she tilted her head even further. And despite how his heartbeat stuttered at how beautiful she looked at that moment, he couldn't stop his own temper from rising. She was being so stupid, and it was pissing him off.

"Yes, I'm sure that I fuckin' love you. Jesus, what else do you want from me?"

She laughed then, but it was without humor. Her pink eyebrows lowered, returning to their earlier glower. "I want you to stop joking around and tell me the truth."

"I'm dead serious, Nat." Here he was, baring his fucking heart like a smarmy son of a bitch and she was accusing him of pranking her.

Her fists clenched as she took a threatening step toward his bed. "Don't lie to me!" Her tone was cutting.

He couldn't stop his own voice from rising. "Why the hell would I lie about something like that?!"

"Because you've done nothing but lie and give me stupid excuses from the beginning!" She waved her arms, furious at his behavior. "Did you think that giving me some shitty, bogus line like that was going to make me feel better?! I may not be smart, but I'm not stupid, either!"

Now he was angry. Hurt, too, but the anger was fast becoming an eclipsing factor. He'd deal with the rest later, but for now, he could only react.

"Don't accuse me of lying! I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a damn liar!" He wanted to get up and leave, go anywhere that wasn't around her. For the first time since waking up in the infirmary, he cursed his injuries that forced him to stay and listen to this horseshit.

Natsumi, for her part, was through listening to it as well.

"Even if you aren't lying, what does loving me have to do with anything?" Her furious voice yelled, booming in great echoes off the walls of the infirmary. "So what if you love me?!"

She couldn't take it anymore. Laxus and his stupid excuses and his stupid face and his stupid attempts to pull one over on her. She'd had enough for one day, made enough trouble for herself. If she stayed any longer, she wasn't sure if that consuming, terrifying rage from earlier might reawaken, and she refused to let that happen.

Turning around and storming to the door, she put on hand on the doorknob.

"It shouldn't matter if you think the sun shines out of my ass! If you loved me like you say you do, then you'd want me to get stronger! You wouldn't hold me back just to make yourself feel better! You don't know anything about love!"

With that, she slammed the door open and stalked out, not sparing Laxus a backward glance.

Needing air, she made a beeline for the exit. Consumed by her need to be away, she didn't notice the shocked faces of her guild mates, who'd heard every word she'd screamed to the lightning dragon slayer.

Seeing the murderous look on her friend's face, Lucy scrambled to her feet. She and Happy followed the distressed girl out the door. They hoped they could catch her long enough to help her calm down before she did anything drastic again.

Mira watched in horrified silence from behind the bar. Like the rest of the guild, she'd heard Natsumi yelling about how she hadn't forgiven Laxus just because he told her he loved her, and she was appalled. When she told that idiot to tell her the truth, she'd thought he'd tell Natsumi about the guilt he'd shouldered since the Harvest Festival and his unwillingness to hurt her again. But he'd managed to misunderstand her instructions so completely, she was at a loss for what to do.

They were both so hopeless, and it broke her heart. Natsumi was just as confused and offended as ever, and she couldn't even imagine what Laxus was dealing with now. He'd told one of his most closely guarded secrets to the only person whose knowledge of it mattered, and she'd thrown it back in his face. The lights in the guild hall flickered, and her eyebrows drew together, knowing the source of the power surge. She wondered with a heavy heart if those two would ever be able to salvage the pieces of their relationship. Mira herself wasn't sure what more there was to be done.

Laxus, for his part, was feeling decidedly shitty. When he'd watched Natsumi leave, he'd allowed himself a single moment to indulge in his anger. All the light bulbs in the room were now in pieces across the floor from where he'd unleashed his magic in one chaotic burst, all power and no technique.

His anger had dissipated, and all that was left was sadness and frustration. He'd fucked it all up again, perhaps even more irrevocably than before. Natsumi had been here, giving him the opportunity to explain everything to her, and he threw it away. He tried to put her actual words out of his head, because the memory of her contorted face screaming at him that she didn't believe him made his stomach bottom out and his head swim. Now, it didn't matter if she could have ever returned his feelings. After this, he'd be lucky if she'd even look at him again.

The worst part, the lightning mage thought, was that it was all his fault. He'd had the chance to make her understand, and he'd completely blown it. He comforted himself with that. Natsumi not accepting him due to his idiocy was something that he could at least deal with, but her rejecting him because she found him as awful as he found himself at times was too unbearable to let himself contemplate.

Despite his attempts to calm himself down, however, Laxus knew that, aside from when he'd dealt with the aftermath of his attempted coup, he couldn't ever remember feeling so hopeless.

* * *

 **Note:** Finally, something happens between those after 10k+ words! Laxus just can't seem to keep his shit straight no matter what he does, though Natsumi obviously isn't without blame in this situation. I'm really enjoying writing how both characters are developing and learning to cope with their problems.

Anyway, thanks for reading! As always, I'd love it if you'd review and tell me what you thought!

 **Next Chapter Preview Snippet:**

 _She sent a silent request for guidance and protection, since what she was planning on doing was crazy at best and assured suicide at worst._


	4. Nuclear Winters Have Seen Less Fallout

**AN:** It's a slightly shorter chapter than the last two, but we're still far from done! In the last installment, we saw an enraged breakdown, an unfortunate confession, and Natsumi storming out of the guild! In chapter four, we get to see a lovely glimpse into just how great Natsumi and Lucy's friendship is, as well as seeing just how far one would go for the other. I really really just love stable, non-aggressive female friendships. I can't help it.

As always, thanks for all the attention you guys have given this little pet project of mine. It always makes me so happy to get subscription alerts and favorites, not to mention my very loyal reviewer.

Then, without further digression, here's the next installment! Enjoy!

* * *

 **Nuclear Winters Have Seen Less Fallout**

"Come on, Nat. Please just talk to us!" Lucy called through the door to Natsumi's room.

"Please, Natsumi!" Happy chorused, trying to see under the bottom crack in the door.

They hadn't been able to catch the dragon slayer on the way home, and they'd come back that evening to a disturbing sight. The apartment was dead silent, everything in its place. With Natsumi home, both of those things were a logical impossibility. Both the Exceed and the celestial mage had run to their friend's room in a blind panic, finding it both closed and locked. They'd been unsuccessfully attempting to get her to come out ever since.

Lucy rapped on the door again. "We're both worried about you. You haven't even eaten yet."

Happy whined imploringly through the crack in the door. "Are you mad at us, too, Natsumi?" Lucy didn't have to look at Happy to know there were fat tears running down his face.

The blonde girl heard a heavy sigh through the door, then the muffled voice of her friend.

"No, buddy, I'm not mad at anyone but that bastard. I just need to be alone."

"We just want to make sure you're okay. Being alone to wallow isn't healthy," Lucy said, knowing a person as extroverted as Natsumi wasn't suited to being alone with her thoughts. Hell, the girl spent the majority of her nights in Lucy's bed with her just because she didn't like to be lonely.

When she heard only silence on the other side of the door, Lucy continued. "I know you've had a rough day, and Laxus surprised us all with how he handled things, but please let us in. Plus, Happy misses you."

"I just want Natsumi to be okay!" the cat blubbered, reaching under the door with a tiny blue paw.

"Okay! Fine, you guys win," the pink-haired girl said with another heaving sigh. Lucy pulled Happy into her arms as the door clicked, then slid open. Natsumi was sitting just inside the door, curled with her knees against her chest and her back against the wall. She released the doorknob and settled back into her position. "It's not as fun when you guys are the ones being all pushy," she pouted.

Lucy rolled her eyes, letting Happy go so he could go cuddle the dragon slayer. "Yeah, well welcome to my world." The blonde entered the room and sat across from her friend, getting comfortable on the soft carpet of the floor.

Happy snuggled into the crook of Natsumi's neck, and she let out a giggle as she moved to accommodate him.

"Lucy and I were scared," the cat blurted out, and Lucy went to shush him, not wanting to broach the subject of Natsumi's earlier temper tantrum so bluntly.

Natsumi smiled sheepishly and pat Happy on the head. "Sorry for scaring you. I just…lost it. He made me so angry and he didn't even bother giving me the real reason why. Not even when I went to apologize for hurting him! He just tried to tell me what he thought I wanted to hear to get me to drop it. What a jerk," she bit out.

The celestial mage frowned. She scooted closer, wrapping one of her hands around a pigtail.

"I know you're upset—and you have every right to be, but are you sure you're mad about the right thing?" she asked gently, not wanting to cause her friend more pain if she didn't have to.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you ever think that maybe Laxus might be telling you the truth?"

Natsumi's eyes widened. She clutched Happy tighter, making him squirm. "You know about that?"

"Everyone knows about that," Lucy laughed. "You were basically shouting it from the rafters."

"Laxus loves you," Happy giggled, and Lucy reached over and pulled at his tail with a sharp glare.

"Not the time, Happy," she warned.

She turned back to the dragon slayer. "The point is, are you sure you know that he was lying? I mean, you aren't exactly the world's most observant person."

Natsumi huffed. "It doesn't matter if he was telling the truth or not. If he thought telling me all that mushy stuff was going to make me forget about all the shit he's done, he's got another thing coming!"

"Okay, fine!" Lucy relented. "But everyone is still worried about you. Today was honestly the most afraid I've ever been of you, and I've seen you take down loads of people. I can tell it really messed with everyone that saw it. It's not like you to let your anger get so out of control when it comes to a friend."

"It's true. Gray thought you might go into Dragon Force," Happy told her, pulling back to look her in the face. Lucy nodded, remembering the scene herself.

"You don't hold grudges, even against rivals like Erza and Gray. Not even against Gajeel or Jellal," the girl continued, counting them off on her fingers. "You've never been like that…ever. So why is Laxus any different, aside from what he told you today?"

Natsumi fiddled with the fabric of her scarf. "I don't know, alright? It just fires me up when I think about him calling me weak. Except I don't think I've been fired up like that before…at least not in that way. I just lost it when I thought about what he must think of me. Not respecting me as a mage and an opponent and all that."

"But Laxus isn't the only one who's done that. You've faced tons of people that've said the same thing," Lucy argued.

Natsumi shook her head, her pink hair covering her face with the force of her vehemence. "When people said stuff like that, I shut 'em up with my fists! Laxus won't let me do that! He's so high and mighty about it and it pisses me off."

"But you never cried about it before," Happy said, rubbing his furry chin with a paw. "You were all red and you kept yelling at him. You've never done that before."

"I don't think it's as simple as you're making it out to be. With the way you're acting, you feel a lot more strongly about this than anything we've run across so far. The only question is why Laxus's opinion matters so much," she stared at her friend.

The dragon slayer had seen better days. Her clothes were singed from the fight, and her hair was more matted than usual, probably from getting taken down by Erza. Her face was still swollen and blotchy, with dried tear tracks that Natsumi hadn't bothered to scrub away yet. She looked defeated, even if she'd technically been the winner of the bout.

Lucy's eyes widened, and she had to catch herself when she leaned back to prevent herself from hitting the floor.

"Unless you care about him, too!" she shouted.

Natsumi jumped at the accusation, sending Happy flying into the air.

"What?!" the pink haired girl yelled at her friend, confused and shocked that Lucy would jump to that kind of conclusion. So what if she was upset? It wasn't a crime. And it definitely didn't mean she cared about that walking spark plug. "Stop playing around!"

Lucy just kept gaping at her, a look of triumphant understanding dawning in her eyes.

"Oh my gosh, you _do!_ " the celestial mage pointed at her.

"No, I don't!"

"You like him back and you don't even know it, you numbskull! Look at you, you're a mess!" she gestured to the dragon slayer's current state. "You've never been this wrecked over anything since I've known you. You care about him and it's killing you that you think he doesn't respect you as a fighter!"

"That's not true! It just pisses me off!" She thought Lucy was smart, but her friend wasn't making any sense right now. Natsumi looked beseechingly at Happy for help, but the cat only looked back at her with a small smile as he stood by Lucy. "Traitor," she hissed at him.

Lucy looked smug. "It doesn't make sense any other way. You've never cared about what anyone thinks about you, so long as they left the guild's reputation out of it, but you've gotten all in an uproar about this. God, it's so obvious now!"

Frustrated and insulted, Natsumi let her head hit the wall behind her. Maybe if she scrambled her brains enough, she'd finally be able to understand what Lucy was telling her. When she did it a few more times and found it still didn't work, she concluded that her friend must be the one whose head was jumbled.

"Luce, I know you mean well, but could you just stop?" she changed tactics. Instead of yelling, she raised her eyebrows and pouted out her bottom lip, doing her best impression of a kicked puppy. She loved Lucy, but sometimes she said stuff that made Natsumi question if she was alright in the head.

"Don't pull that with me! It won't work. Admit it!" the blonde girl snapped.

Natsumi's face fell, frowning once more. "No! I don't care about him, so stop being a weirdo!" She didn't love Laxus, and that was all there was to it. It didn't matter if he really cared about her or not. If he thought that telling her that would give him a free pass to treat her however he wanted, then she didn't want to think about it anymore.

"You sound like a little kid, Nat," she laughed.

"And you sound like you're trying to make me into a character in that book you're writing. Laxus is an idiot, and I'm pissed at him, but that doesn't mean anything."

The dragon slayer got up from her seated position and stretched. Her arms extended, and she felt several vertebrae crack as she bent towards the wall. She sighed in relief, happy to release some of the tension the day had soaked into her muscles. Twisting her neck, she cracked it as well, cackling at the disgusted look on Lucy's face.

"I'll be okay, Luce. I promise. But for now I've got to go eat something, and then I think I want to go to sleep," she turned and walked out the door, heading for the kitchen. Before Lucy could protest further, the pink haired girl's head popped back around the door frame. "Coming, Happy?"

The cat flew into the air from Lucy's side, shouting a cheerful "Aye, sir!" before following Natsumi out.

Lucy watched the idiotic duo go with frustrated amusement. She knew Natsumi cared for Laxus. Her behavior was proof enough of that. It irked her that her friend wouldn't own up to it when she was usually so forthcoming.

Huffing, she let herself fall backwards, flopping on her back to stare up at the ceiling. She needed to get Natsumi to be honest with herself somehow. The more she thought about it, the more she realized the dragon slayer probably hadn't figured out her true feelings, much less figured out how to deal with them.

"Always so difficult," she muttered to herself, careful to keep her tone to a whisper so Natsumi wouldn't hear her from the kitchen.

If Natsumi was being dense as a rock, then Lucy was going to have to pull out her trump card. She just wished the deployment of said card didn't involve the possibility of grievous bodily harm.

"Nat better get on her knees and thank me for this later," she mumbled, then hauled herself up off the ground to go make sure those hooligans weren't ruining the kitchen.

She sent a silent request up to her mother and father for guidance and protection, since what she was planning on doing was crazy at best and assured suicide at worst.

Tomorrow, she'd be paying a broken-hearted Laxus Dreyar a visit.

* * *

The next day, the celestial mage experienced a rare stroke of luck when Natsumi said she still wasn't feeling up to going to the guild, even though she was planning on taking a solo job with Happy soon. She got no arguments from Lucy, who was focused on her own agenda. Wasting no time, she marched herself to the guild. She didn't want to give herself time to mull over what she was about to do any more than she already had. It'd just make her twitchy, or worse, it might make her too anxious to actually go through with her objective.

Just thinking _that_ made her anxious. Flashes of an enraged Laxus filled her head, and she broke out into a cold sweat.

"Calm down, Lucy. Heartfilias never back down," she told herself, putting a hand on her keys. Having them close by was a definite comfort. If Laxus got out of line, her spirits were only a call away. How dangerous could he even be? He was pretty banged up after Natsumi'd been pulled off him, after all.

Even if he was just as dangerous as her memories claimed, it only took the memory of Natsumi's sobbing face as she kicked the blonde man for Lucy to find all the motivation she needed. She needed to do this for her friend. She _would_ do this because she cared about Natsumi like a sister, and if it hadn't been for that crazy, loud, obnoxious girl, Lucy would've never even gotten to Fairy Tail in the first place. Never mind the countless times Nat had come through for her when it really counted. This was a small thing in comparison to all that.

She let that thought carry her into the guild, waving to Wendy and Levy before pushing her way into the infirmary.

Laxus didn't notice her come in. He was busy poking at an angry scab on his forearm as he lounged in bed, looking bored. Unwound bandages lay on his lap as he fiddled with his injury, wincing as he hit a tender spot.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" she asked, tentatively walking towards his bed.

His eyes snapped to hers, but he didn't look ashamed in the least at being caught. If anything, his face looked annoyed.

"What's it to you?" he asked, his face glaring despite his rather haggard appearance.

Lucy decided this version of Laxus looked about as scary as a sleep-deprived Happy. He could probably claw your eyes out if he wanted to, but presented no significant risk. The large man looked exhausted, with dark circles etched deep into the space beneath his eyes. From what skin she could see beneath his bandages, his chest and shoulders were made of bruises of all colors, ranging from healing yellows to tender blacks and blues. She couldn't remember Laxus ever looking so beat up. He'd been in walking shape after the Harvest Festival as well as when they'd battled the dragons after the Grand Magical Games. But now, he looked like he'd collapse if he tried to get off that bed.

"I just wanted to check on you. See how a guild mate is faring, you know," she smiled innocently.

"Who sent you?" he glowered, not finding her charade impressive in the least.

Lucy deflated, hanging her head and letting out a whine. "No one sent me! I came here of my own volition. Can't a girl just do a good dead?"

Laxus scoffed, beginning to rewind the bandage onto his arm. "I don't know who you're trying to fool, but you might want to work on the good girl act next time you want something, 'cause it sucks."

"Fine!" she glared. "Geez," she mumbled under her breath, "allergic to basic manners? No wonder you're head over heels for Natsumi."

"Excuse me?" The look he sent her made her blood freeze in her veins, and she gulped. Despite her earlier judgment, Laxus was still pretty intimidating, even when incapacitated. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, but you better start explaining."

"You mean you don't know?" The celestial mage had overestimated him. "The whole guild basically overheard Natsumi screaming about your…umm…confession," she finished awkwardly, as he froze in front of her, pausing in the bandaging of his arm. The man closed his eyes and seemed for all the world like he'd become one of Evergreen's stone statues.

"Uh, Laxus?" She called out softly and took a hesitant step forward, not wanting to spook him.

"Get out."

She paused.

"I'm sorry, wha—"

"I said get out!" he shouted at her, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to lean threateningly at her. His wince at the action—as well as lips drawing into a thin line—didn't go unnoticed by the blonde girl. Rallying every ounce of her courage, she decided to call his bluff.

"Look, Laxus, I'm not here to hold it over your head or whatever you think," she told him, holding up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm actually here to help, if you want it."

"Fuck off."

"Okay, now that's just rude!" she glared at him, dropping her hands to her hips, making sure that she could feel her keys in easy reach.

"Look, I have better things to be doing with my time than this, and frankly, you terrify me. However, Natsumi's my best friend, so I'm here and you're going to listen to me! So stop with the posturing. Everyone already knows you're probably a wreck, anyway." She shouted at him, drawing Taurus's key just in case she needed to call on the amorous bull.

The lightning mage scowled and shifted on the bed, but he didn't move. Whether or not it was by choice rather than inability, Lucy didn't know, but she'd take what she could get. Seizing the opportunity, she continued.

"I don't know what exactly you said to her, but she's not even willing to give anything related to you any thought if it doesn't involve fighting. She's hurt and insulted and angry, but I know she feels the same way about you." Laxus's eyes widened. Lucy realized she'd caught him off guard by the way he leaned back slightly, as if her words had tried to bowl him over and he'd only just managed to catch himself.

"She won't admit it because she hasn't realized it yet, but it's the only way to explain why this matters so much to her. I can count on one hand how many times I've seen Natsumi cry, and even then, I've never seen her so broken up. So while I'm mad that you made her that way, I'm willing to give you a chance. But!" She cut him off as he opened his mouth to reply.

"You really have to get your act together! Right now, I don't think you understand where Natsumi is coming from, and you have to, especially since she's so bad at understanding her own feelings." It was almost comical to watch these two flounder, but she'd save the laughter for when all of this was over. Maybe then they'd all joke about how stupid they were. That is, assuming she survived this conversation.

"If you're serious about Natsumi—and you better be—you have to be willing to put in the effort to fix the mess you've both made."

"I'm getting really sick of people getting up in my face about how I should run my life. Stay the fuck out of it, Blondie," he growled out. He just wanted to lick his goddamn wounds in private. Was that so much to ask for? Mira was one thing, but here was this busty girl he barely knew coming here acting like she knew everything about him.

Lucy was done with his attitude. "Look, I know you just got rejected in front of half the guild and you're feeling a little _fragile_ , but I'm trying to do you an actual favor here. The least you could do is to not be a complete jerk to me!" She stepped forward then, to where only a few feet separated her from the irritable lightning wizard. If he decided he was going to physically stop her, then she'd go down swinging. She was on a mission and he was screwing it up, and her fear of conflict had never stopped her before when she really wanted something.

"And by the way?" she said, looking him straight in the eye. "'Blondie' isn't an insult. You're blonde, too, for God's sake!"

Laxus bit out a sharp laugh that sounded more like a bark than anything. "Well, I have to give you credit. You've got some balls on you."

Lucy's face scrunched up in disgust. "Eww. No. Anyway, do you want my help or not? I need to know if you're actually serious. I don't want to waste my time helping some jerk that doesn't care about wanting to make my friend happy." If he was just going to be a fair weather flyer, Natsumi didn't need that. She deserved someone that was going to do whatever it took for her.

She kept her gaze even as she looked at the lightning mage, refusing to back down.

"Do you really love her?" she whispered, knowing he'd hear.

At her question, the man across from her deflated, as if the string that had kept his spine straight snapped under the pressure. He slumped, resting his elbows on his knees as he sighed.

"Yeah," he said, reaching up to run a hand through golden hair. "I really do."

She smiled then, happy that he'd confirmed what she'd already thought she knew. Feeling the tension leave the room, she hopped onto a bed to sit across from him.

"Good. Then I can help you," she crossed her legs, rubbing her chin as she took in the defeated lightning mage, who didn't look hopeful at her declaration.

"The good news is that she likes you, but doesn't realize it. The bad news is that it doesn't really matter right now. As long as she still thinks you don't respect her as a wizard, she's never going to allow herself to even contemplate how she feels about you. I won't lie, you've both gotten yourselves into a huge mess, but if you can manage to show her the real reason why you seem to not want to fight her—don't worry, I'm not going to ask, so relax," she waved a hand in a dismissive gesture when he looked up to glare at her.

"And how the hell am I supposed to do that?" he groused at Lucy.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Figuring it out is your job."

"How is that any help at all?!" he yelled, clenching a fist in the fabric of his pants. She stifled a grin. For being several years her senior, Laxus she could pitch a fit. No wonder he liked Natsumi so much; they were so similar.

"I only came here to tell you not to give up. For some reason, your opinion is important to Natsumi, and if she likes you, then as her friend I have to be there for her as best as I can. That doesn't mean I'm going to do the work for you, though" she winked at him and slid off the bed.

She straightened her skirt, preparing to leave. "Just think about it, alright? You're S-Class. I'm sure you'll come up with something."

Laxus only grunted, still not looking convinced as he stared at the space between his knees, head bowed. With a roll of her eyes, Lucy was sure that was all the response she was going to get. She figured she was probably lucky that he even swallowed his pride enough to admit his feelings to her, so she considered her job a success.

Turning on her heel, she walked out of the infirmary feeling lighter than she had in days. She'd done her part to ensure her best friend's happiness, and now the rest was up to Laxus.

* * *

 **Note** : I love Lucy. If she were real, I'd kill to have a friend like her. She's just as ride or die as the rest of Fairy Tail and we all love her for it (or at least I hope you do). Plus, Laxus needs a good kick in the pants wherever he can get it, whether that be from Mira or Lucy or Nat. One is simply not enough. Maybe they should form a club or something.

Anyway, as always, reviews are love, and so are subs and favs. Any of them make my day (although I'll admit that reviews hold a special place in my heart, since feedback and individual thoughts about my work are so lovely).

 **Next Chapter Preview:** You Sowed the Seeds and Watered the Sprouts but were Surprised when you Saw Flowers

 _"How come that cat is with you?!" he gasped out, leaning backwards._

 _He wasn't making any sense again. "Why wouldn't he be? He's my best friend." Her eyes narrowed. "And how is that any of your business anyway, huh?"_

 _"'Cause you're fucking naked and that cat is just watching you like some creep!"_


	5. You Sowed the Seeds

**AN:** So something weird happened a few days ago. The website apparently decided to lose track of my view count. As in, I have no idea how many people viewed the last chapter the day after it came out, which is a huge bummer, as it makes it difficult to figure out how many people are actually reading. Luckily, I've still been getting all the subscription and review alerts, which I guess is more important in the long run anyway. Hopefully the site will bounce back soon, though. Fingers crossed.

Also a HUGE thank you to those that reviewed. They were awesome. You're awesome. Everything's awesome. I might actually be in love with you.

In the last chapter, Lucy got to be badass and read Laxus the riot act (which I think we can all agree he desperately needed, the poor bastard), and in chapter five, we get to see Natsumi struggling with *gasp* emotional growth? Blasphemy. This is a long one to make up for the relatively short nature of the last entry, and it's chalk-full of goodies. We're slowly but steadily plodding along!

Enjoy!

* * *

 **You Sowed the Seeds and Watered the Sprouts but were Surprised when you Saw Flowers**

Natsumi barely spent any time at the guild in the days following Laxus's ill-received confession. She refused to be in the same building as the lightning mage, both because fellow guild members kept bothering her about what she was going to do about it and because she still wasn't ready to forgive the idiot for complicating everything.

It'd been all she could do to run in and grab a job request off the board, run it by Mira, grab Happy, and get the hell out of town. Not only did it offer respite from being stifled by nosy guild mates, but she desperately needed to rake in some cash before Lucy skinned her alive. This job would let her accomplish that, even with Master's garnishment of her reward.

Which is how the dragon slayer and her companion found themselves in Hargeon, hunting down bandits that were stealing supplies from ships docked in the port. The job was straightforward: wait until nightfall, then unleash hell upon the bastards. It'd been simple, but there were a bunch of them. After the first night, she thought she'd routed them all, only for more supplies to go missing the next night. Natsumi wasn't upset, though. If anything, she felt relieved that she had an excuse to be away from home.

Five days into the job, though, she was beginning to regret bringing Happy along. She loved the little blue Exceed, but sometimes he could be pushy. It was fun when it was directed toward Lucy, but Natsumi found it was much less amusing when all of the cat's curiosity and off-color sense of humor was directed at her.

He'd been hassling her about Laxus and how Lucy kept insisting that she felt the same. No matter how much she denied it, he wouldn't let it go. Even Lucy-like threats to physically shut him up fell on deaf ears, and Natsumi was ready stuff her own ears with sand.

"Lucy was right, even if she is weird!" The cat shouted for the umpteenth time that evening.

"Be quiet, Happy! We're never going to catch them by surprise if you keep yappin'!" The dragon slayer tried to shush the cat.

He laughed behind the oil drums they were hiding behind, pulling playfully on Natsumi's hair. "Like they wouldn't hear you stomping up from a mile away! Why don't you just charge in like you usually do?"

"Because they just keep coming! If I sneak up on 'em, maybe they'll let slip where they're all hiding out."

"Wow. That's actually pretty smart," the cat deadpanned, dropping her hair.

She swatted him, knocking him off her head. "Of course! I'm plenty smart!" she grumbled. Peeking out from behind the wall of drums, she checked the section of docks they'd decided to stake out that night. Still nothing. Natsumi hoped tonight wouldn't be a bust. Then she'd have nothing to distract her from her own thoughts and Happy's teasing. She really needed to punch something.

"Maybe, but not when Laxus is taking up all your thinking space," the cat giggled.

"He is not!"

"Then why did you let that one bad guy escape yesterday?" Happy pulled on the baggy fabric of her pants and looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes. Natsumi's eyes narrowed. Of course he wouldn't let that one go.

"I was trying to draw them out, okay? How can I do that when I just take out all of them?" she argued, but it sounded fake even to her own ears. She cursed herself for never figuring out how to be a good liar.

"Sure. You definitely weren't distracted at all." The Exceed clambered back up Natsumi's squatting form, patting her on the shoulder. "You totally had it under control. Did you have any other reason for wanting them to lead you to their hide out instead of just interrogating them like you usually do?"

Natsumi's stomach dropped. She slapped a palm to her face in frustration.

"Damn it! Why didn't you tell me that days ago?!" Maybe she wasn't at her best right now, but just because she was distracted didn't mean it was because of that asshole! He had nothing to do with it.

"I thought you had some special plan. I didn't think even you could be dumb enough to forget what you normally do," Happy chuckled.

Natsumi bristled. "Don't call me dumb!" she yelled, not bothering to monitor her own tone anymore. "So what if I wanted to try something different?! It's been working so far, and why are you jumping on my case anyway, Happy? I thought we were friends!"

"We are, but you won't admit that what Laxus said is bothering you, and I'm worried. If you like him, it's okay. Even if he is scary."

"I don't like him!" She screamed.

The Exceed couldn't answer before a crushing force hit the wall of oil drums, sending them toppling over. Natsumi barely threw herself out of the way in time to avoid getting crushed, the heavy drums slamming down on the space she and Happy had occupied just seconds before. To her relief, she saw the small cat hovering in her peripheral vision, having escaped unharmed. Not to her relief was the fact that they were both covered in thick, sticky, crude oil. She wiped her face with her scarf, thankful that Igneel's gift to her always stayed magically clean no matter what happened to it.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Natsumi yelled in the direction the impact had come from. Not only did she not get to finish chewing Happy out for his stupid cracks about Laxus and her strategic skills, but she was pissed that someone had just tried to pulverize them.

She glared in the darkness, making out three male figures in the darkness with her sharp eyesight.

"Looks like you missed, Rosco," a gravelly voice taunted. She identified the sound coming from the tallest figure, the one flanking the leader on the left.

"Shut the fuck up," the leader called. Natsumi presumed the mean in the center to be this 'Rosco' person. "So this is the guild mage who's been causing all this trouble, huh? Honestly, I expected more…presence. Seems to me like you're just a little girl that doesn't know how to use her inside voice," Rosco laughed, his two companions joining in without delay.

The dragon slayer fumed silently as the figures advanced, revealing themselves in the dim lights that illuminated the docks.

"I guess I better stop lollygaggin' and start doing my job, eh, Happy?" Natsumi smirked, looking at the men with predatory intent.

"Aye, sir!" The cat shouted, flying up and out so as not to be within firing distance.

"Well, boys? What should we do with her?" Rosco smiled, his greasy hair lying plastered to his face and neck.

Natsumi didn't give his companions a chance to answer, for she had ignited the whole surface of the dock in flames, using the oil as means to form the biggest bonfire in Hargeon's collective memory.

Happy watched from above as Natsumi gleefully took out the bandits, laughing with joy as they came at her all at once. Luckily, the dragon slayer managed to keep the leader from slipping into unconsciousness long enough for him to whine out the location of their hideout. He laughed aloud when Natsumi grew bored of the fight and unceremoniously chucked all three men into the marina, one after the other.

Dusting off her hands, or trying her best to through the oily sludge still decorating her entire body, Natsumi smiled up at the Exceed, all teeth.

"Ready for some more action, Happy?" she called, waving excitedly.

Two hours and many thugs left tied up in their hideout later, Natsumi approached Hargeon's Town Hall to collect her reward. The Harbor Master, who'd issued the request, had told her that someone would always be on staff to dispense her reward, no matter the hour.

Therefore, even though the sun had long since set, Natsumi saw no problem with her entrance to Town Hall. Barging in through the doors, the dragon slayer and Happy walked past the shocked faces of the clerks and officials still on duty, oblivious to the dark, dripping stains each were leaving in their wake.

"Why's everybody staring, Natsumi?" Happy asked as they worked their way to the Harbor Master's staff office.

The small girl shrugged. "Maybe they're not used to seeing guild wizards or something."

They received much the same treatment from the petite woman on the other side of the door labelled 'Hargeon Harbor Master: Branch Office 1'. The woman scrambled up from her desk to a standing position as the two filthy Fairy Tail members came ambling in, looking at Natsumi with huge eyes.

"Don't say a word about how I accidentally let the dock on fire," the dragon slayer whispered to Happy, who only saluted.

"Hey! We're the Fairy Tail team that answered the request to get rid of those bandits by the docks," she spoke up to the blinking figure of the woman in front of her. "There's about fifteen of them tied up in a grotto about ten minutes from the harbor. Happy and I can show you if you want the proof."

"O-Of course!" The mousy woman squeaked, hands shooting to a communication lacrima. "L-let me just send someone out to check. Then I'd be happy to furnish you the reward for your troubles." She typed a message with shaking fingers, then looked back up at them, eyes shifting between the wild-looking girl with pink hair and the flying cat.

"It will just be a few minutes before someone from another branch detachment can send word that the mission is complete. I-If you wouldn't mind waiting, that would be much appreciated."

The receptionist squeaked again as Natsumi plopped herself into one of the large, plush chairs opposite the main desk, uncaring for how the expensive upholstery would now need to be replaced, and then sighed. Then, something struck her as she took in the small, grimy girl across from her and the cat perched on her shoulder. Swallowing her trepidation, she spoke.

"Did…Did you say there were fifteen bandits there? Where you found them?"

Natsumi scratched one of her ears. "About that. None of them were mages though, so it was easy. I didn't even need magic to have those bastards crying."

"But that's so many! And you're even smaller than I am!" She was astonished at how such a diminutive person could subdue that many adversaries with no help except a flying feline!

Natsumi took in the wide-eyed, admiring look that the receptionist was giving her, shrugging it off as she explained that it hadn't been such a big deal. Something about that look struck her, though. She couldn't remember anyone giving her that kind of disbelieving, almost worshipful look before. Though she could definitely remember looking like that at others, hoping that she could one day be like them.

* * *

 _July 6, X778_

 _The guild doors seemed to open on their own, and all heads snapped to the entrance, where Master Makarov strolled in. Natsumi elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, eagerly awaiting the news that was sure to come._

 _Clearing his throat, Gramps raised his arms. "As you all know, the S-Class trials this year featured some of our brightest talents."_

 _Natsumi heard Mira in the background grouching about how that couldn't possibly be true since she wasn't selected to compete, and the bickering that followed could only mean that Erza had gotten involved. The dragon slayer tuned them out, not wanting to miss any news about the trials. Had anyone been successful? Would Guildarts still be the only S-Class mage at Fairy Tail?_

" _As the third Master of Fairy Tail, it is my pleasure to bring you the news of this year's trial."_

" _Get on with it, Old Man!" Someone yelled from the back. Makarov was undeterred, however, still wrapped up in his speech._

" _While there were many ups and downs throughout the trials, all those selected to compete behaved with honor and integrity and should be commended for their dedication to become stronger."_

" _Gramps, come on!" Natsumi yelled, not being able to contain herself. "Did anyone make S-Class or not?!"_

 _Makarov didn't have time to glare at the young mage before being interrupted._

" _You really have to ask that question, Pinky? It should've been obvious."_

 _Laxus stepped through the doorway, trailed by Freed, his trial partner. Both were covered in sand, a product of the trials being held in the desert, no doubt, but Laxus still looked like he could take any of them on._

" _Laxus?" Natsumi whispered, looking up at the lightning mage with widening eyes. "You made S-Class?"_

 _He scoffed and rolled his eyes, the shiny white skin of his recently healed scar crinkling with the force of his smirk. "Duh."_

 _The deafening cheers that erupted throughout the guild hall quieted as Makarov shushed them, confirming that his grandson had been successful at winning the trials, becoming the second active S-Class mage at Fairy Tail at the age of seventeen._

 _The cheers resumed upon the conclusion of the declaration, and Laxus was swarmed with congratulations and well-wishes. None were as loud as Natsumi, though, who couldn't tear her eyes off the older boy._

" _I can't believe you did it! That's so awesome, Laxus! Now you definitely have to take me on so I know how strong I am!" she shouted._

 _Laxus laughed, showing all of his annoyingly perfect, white teeth, for once not finding her question obnoxious. Maybe it's an S-Class thing, Natsumi thought._

" _You sure you don't want to take on someone more your speed?" He offered, still chuckling._

 _Her pink hair swished with the force of her head shaking. "If I want to be the strongest mage in Fairy Tail, there's no point in waiting around!" She looked at his towering form above her with fire in her eyes. Had he always been so tall? She definitely didn't remember having to look up so far. Maybe he'd got a growth spurt. She pouted, hoping that she'd catch up to him soon. It sucked being short._

 _Laxus only laughed at her again, bending slightly to flick her in the ear as he passed. "We'll see about that," was his only reply before he was engulfed in the ocean of excited guild members, each clapping him happily on the back or shoulders._

 _The dragon slayer glowered at his back. It wasn't fair that he got to be tall, have muscles, and have powerful magic. Natsumi swore that she'd grow taller and broader than Laxus and then she would be the one laughing! Maybe then he'd let her fight him._

* * *

Natsumi shook herself, startling the receptionist in front of her.

Why the hell would she think about Laxus at a time like this? She came on this mission to forget about him and his stupid feelings in the first place, and here he was, sneaking into her thoughts. She pouted, resting her chin on her hands as she glared at the floor in front of her dirty feet.

"E-Excuse me? Miss…?" the receptionist waved shyly, trying once again to get the dragon slayer's attention.

The pink-haired girl looked up and saw the small woman typing away on a lacrima screen.

Smiling, the receptionist began rummaging in a drawer of her desk.

"I just got confirmation that the investigators have found your…er…targets. You're free to have your reward and be on your way, if you wish," she said, standing back up. She held out a sealed bundle to Natsumi, which the dragon slayer took.

Seeing that it was the 200,000 Jewels they'd promised her, she whooped and scooped Happy up, not bothering to say another word before running out of the building, leaving nothing behind but black stains.

Little did the receptionist know, the two Fairy Tail mages were just glad nobody had deducted the cost of the burned dock from their earnings.

The walk back to the inn was initially cheerful, with both Happy and Natsumi glad that they'd managed to complete the job with no incidents, even if it did take longer than they'd expected. For Natsumi, that thought quickly soured her mood. Yeah, the job had dragged on and it'd been hard trying to entertain herself during the days spent waiting around, but at least she was in Hargeon and not Magnolia. Now, there was nothing keeping her from returning to the place that had recently been so hard to deal with.

To be fair, Natsumi supposed she shouldn't blame the whole town for her problems. Magnolia was where her family was, and she loved them all. It was only her intent to avoid a certain lightning dragon slayer that made her wish she hadn't been so rough with those thugs from earlier. Maybe then they wouldn't have told her the location of their hideout and she'd still be on the job.

She slapped herself when she caught herself on the dangerous path that her thoughts were taking.

"Are you alright?" Happy asked her when he noticed her troubled expression. They were approaching their inn, and Natsumi wasn't looking as happy as he'd hoped she would.

She forced a smile, hoping it'd be enough to fool the cat but knowing it wouldn't. "Yeah, buddy, I'm fine. I guess I was distracted by how dirty I am. Lucy is rubbing off on me, I guess," she laughed, fingering her matted, sopping hair, no longer pink in color.

Happy made a comment about how Lucy's weirdness was also rubbing off on her, but she ignored it in favor of pushing open the door to the inn. She stomped up the stairs, holding up a hand at the innkeeper's shouting for her to not drip on the carpet.

"I'm hungry," the cat whined as he crashed onto the bed. He turned onto his back, rubbing his belly with a forlorn expression.

Natsumi toed off her sandals, not bothering to wipe them off.

"I am, too. But I doubt anyone's going to let me into a restaurant looking like this," she pouted. It was only a little sludge, but people were so picky. It wouldn't be the first time she was turned away from food for being too dirty to enter the building. Rubbing her chin, she thought, then jumped a little when an idea hit her.

"Here, Happy," she dug through her pocket, counting out a suitable amount of Jewels and tossing the bills at the cat, who deftly cat them. "You're a lot cleaner than I am. Go get us something from a food stand, okay? I'll stay here and shower."

The cat eyed her warily, glancing from between her and the money between his paws. "Can it be fish?" he whispered, hope glittering in his huge eyes.

Natsumi laughed. "Sure thing, buddy. Just get enough for me, too."

"Aye, sir!" the cat yelled in triumph, flying out through the open window, head already filled with thoughts of fish as big as he was.

When he was gone, Natsumi sighed and trudged toward the bathroom. She stripped out of her clothes, throwing them to the floor in wet, stained blobs. She was happy that she brought extra chest wrappings this time, because the ones she wore now weren't salvageable, sticking to her uncomfortably with thick sludge that even Natsumi found gross.

The dragon slayer wasted no more time in turning the shower onto its highest possible setting. She jumped in, watching in joy as the steam enveloped the bathroom and fogged up the windows. The scalding stream of water felt amazing as it trailed down her body, soothing the minor aches and pains that even easy missions inflicted on her.

She sighed in relief. It'd been a while since she got to enjoy a long, hot shower. Lucy really had gotten to her, she thought to herself with a laugh. It was true, though. After moving in with Lucy, she found herself often using the girl's private bathroom, enjoying the tub that Cana bragged about so much. However, Lucy had recently banned her from her personal suite, and Natsumi had resigned herself once more to quick, lukewarm showers in the main bathroom of their apartment. It made her miss sneaking into the bathhouse at the first guild hall after hours. The water had always been warm, and she could stay as long as she wanted without anyone yapping at her about using too much of their shampoo.

* * *

 _March 14, X783_

 _"Are you sure Erza isn't going to kick us out again?" Happy said as Natsumi dropped her towel and slipped into the huge bathhouse pool. The dragon slayer waved a reassuring hand at the cat._

 _"It'll be fine. Plus, we should really be worried about Macao and Wakaba. You know how they always talk about how much the hot water works on their old bones or whatever." Natsumi inhaled a breath before submerging her whole body underwater, soaking her long, pink tresses. Happy waited patiently on the side of the pool, content to bathe himself rather than risk contact with the water. He may have wings, but he was still a cat, after all. Well, at least mostly._

 _The Exceed didn't have to wait long. The dragon slayer emerged from the water and made her way over to one of the carved marble seats at the side of the pool, pushing back her long bangs as she went._

 _The minutes passed in rare, peaceful silence as the duo lounged in the bathhouse. The pink-haired girl leaned back, letting her head rest on the warm stone of the pool and her limbs stretch out. Happy, secure that they wouldn't be interrupted by a furious redhead, started to doze in his place by the side of the bath, soothed by the steam in the room._

 _The night was serene, until both heard the heavy sound of the door opening, followed by footsteps._

 _Natsumi's eyes widened as a broad figure emerged from the clouds of steam._

 _"I thought you said it was Macao we'd have to worry about?" Happy deadpanned._

 _"I'm not always right, Happy!"_

 _"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Laxus yelled, squinting through the fog to find the dragon slayer and the shamefaced cat._

 _Natsumi cocked her head to the side. "Taking a bath? Just like you," she gestured to the towel around his waist, and the blonde jumped, backing up several paces and keeping a firm hand on the knot._

 _She could still see his glare even from the hazy distance, though._

 _"You shouldn't be here," he growled out. "And cover up before you go. Jesus."_

 _Natsumi rolled her eyes, wondering what the big deal is. She hated when people got so bent out of shape about stuff that didn't matter. Here he was, just as naked as she was. The only difference was that stupid towel, but she wasn't freaking out about seeing him without a shirt. She did wonder, however, how he managed to find shirts that fit him properly, since he had such broad shoulders and such narrow hips._

 _When she asked him, he only clenched his free fist and averted his gaze from her. His eyes landed on a nervous Happy, and she could see his eyes widen._

 _"How come that cat is with you?!" he gasped out, leaning backwards._

 _He wasn't making any sense again. "Why wouldn't he be? He's my best friend." Her eyes narrowed. "And how is that any of your business anyway, huh?"_

 _"'Cause you're fucking naked and that cat is just watching you like some creep!"_

 _"Hey!" Happy whined, lips quivering at the lightning mage's accusations._

 _Natsumi was through listening to Laxus lecture her, or Happy for that matter. "Cut it out! Leave him alone!"_

 _"Why should I?"_

 _"You outrank me, but that doesn't make you my master! If you want me to leave so much then make me!" she shouted, rising out of the water into a fighting stance. "Fight me, Laxus!"_

 _Laxus's eyes zeroed on her, widening further then she'd ever seen them. Even in the low lighting of the bathhouse, she could see the pink flush on his face that quickly spread down his neck and upper chest as he tried to glare at her._

 _She watched his mouth open and close several times. Briefly, Natsumi thought he resembled some large, golden fish. After several tense seconds, Laxus rearranged his face into a harsh glare before scoffing and stomping away. The door slammed shut behind him._

 _Natsumi watched him leave without relaxing her stance. It was only when she realized he wasn't coming back that she sighed. Oh well. At least she'd have the bath to herself now, even if she'd missed out on a fight._

 _"What was that about?" Happy whispered, coming to her side once more._

 _"I have no idea," the dragon slayer shrugged, sinking back into the heated bath. "If he wanted to bathe so badly, he could've just joined. It's plenty big enough. He didn't have to tell us to leave."_

 _"Maybe he has a really embarrassing birthmark."_

 _Natsumi laughed. "Maybe!"_

 _She really didn't understand Laxus. But if he was going to freak out about finding her here after hours, then sure was glad that he'd left her to enjoy the water by herself._

* * *

"Ach!" Natsumi screamed, slamming her head against the tile wall of the shower to dislodge her unwanted thoughts. Without thinking, she turned the knob 180 degrees, squealing when the water turned from a blissful torrent of heat into Gray levels of ice. It did its job, though. The minute the freezing sheets of water made contact with her skin, all thoughts of Laxus disappeared from her brain, replaced by sheer panic and the will to escape the shower.

When she emerged from the bathroom, clean but shaken, Happy was back. He waved at her with his tail, for both paws were busy stripping the scales off a fish and throwing them onto the carpet.

"Nice haul, buddy. What did you find for me?" she laughed and pat his downy head.

"O'er dere," the cat gestured to a box on the bedside table, mouth too full to enunciate properly.

Natsumi laughed again, but went over to the box and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Opening it to find two steaming fillets, she called out a joyous thanks to Happy and dug in. The food was devoured in minutes, and the late hour began to take its toll on the frazzled dragon slayer.

Without bothering to turn off the light or even burrow under the covers, Natsumi slumped on top of the mattress. From the tight sleep schedule the job demanded, the adrenaline of the fight, and the stress of Laxus invading her mind every chance he got, she was out like a light within minutes.

* * *

Natsumi was in a tree. She didn't know why or how she'd gotten there, but it was a nice day, so she decided to not question it. It was unseasonably warm for late fall, and the dragon slayer inhaled, smelling the crisp pine needles of the nearby firs and the scent of overgrown grass.

"I told you to meet me in the forest fifteen minutes ago, but I didn't expect that you'd make me climb a goddamn tree," a laughing voice from below called.

She looked down to see Laxus smiling up at her, his face more carefree than she could ever remember seeing it. The little dimple in his left cheek was cute, she thought. With him looking like that, it was hard to stop herself from smiling back.

Without her permission, her hand beckoned him up. Shockingly, he didn't argue, but only shrugged off his heavy coat and began pulling himself up from branch to branch with ease. She watched the sun peek through the branches as he made his way up, illuminating his skin and hair in intermittent glowing patches. He was so pretty.

When he pulled himself up to sit beside her on the thick branch, he immediately slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer until their sides touched. Laxus was warm. She always thought that she ran hotter than most people because of her element, but the man beside her felt like he'd swallowed the sun. Natsumi inched closer to the warmth, reveling in it.

His chest vibrated with a deep chuckle. "It always tickles when you wiggle like that," he said.

"What do you mean?" Natsumi asked, pulling back from his hold to look at him in confusion.

He looked back, raising his scarred eyebrow. "What?"

"About it always tickling. What's that supposed to mean?"

He frowned. "Are you feeling alright?" he lifted a hand to her forehead, and she flinched when his palm made contact.

"Hey, hey," he soothed, putting a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "What's gotten into you?" The lightning mage asked, concern on his face as he tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

"I…I don't know. I'm confused about how I got up here. Why I'm even here," she whispered.

He smiled again, his eyes lighting up. "Sometimes it's not important how you got somewhere. Just that you did."

Somehow, that sounded right to her ears, though she was still confused. Why would Laxus be here, being gentler with her than he ever had before?

"Plus," he went on, bending down to lean close and whisper in her ear, "it's nice to enjoy the perks of spontaneity." His breath puffed against her neck, and she felt goosebumps rise up.

Laxus moved to look into her eyes, giving her that same dazzling smile as before he climbed up to her. Her cheeks heated, and she wondered what she was so worried about before. Nothing else seemed like it mattered now, at least. She smiled back at him.

"That's my girl," he whispered, before tilting her chin up and claiming her lips with his.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, Natsumi came face to face with Happy, who was visibly shaking, both paws pressed over his mouth.

"Did you have a nice dream?" he snickered before losing his composure and cracking up, falling off the edge of the bed in the process.

"Huh?" Natsumi said, raising her head off her pillow, only to find that her face was stuck to the pillowcase in an enormous drool deposit. Tearing her face away, she sat up and glared down at the hysterical Exceed rolling around the floor.

"You—you started l-licking your pillow!" Happy stuttered out, paws on his stomach. "It was so funny! What kind of dream were you having? Was it a kissing dream?"

The memory of her dream hit her like a steam engine, and she felt her face bloom into a scarlet nightmare. That was all Happy needed to start into another fit of laughter. Her attempts to quiet him were fruitless, even after tossing the comforter over his tittering form. With a red face and a bruised ego, Natsumi marched to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Back against the door, she sighed and slid down into a seated position. This was torture. Laxus had haunted her through the whole trip, and she couldn't even enjoy her last day here because of that stupid dream. She'd felt so…so happy. It was like all that stuff he'd done hadn't even happened, and it was so stupid! He'd smiled like he was glad to see her and she'd smiled back. He's kissed her! And...she'd let him.

She smacked the back of her head against the door to end that train of thought. Natsumi didn't know why she was thinking about stuff like kissing or acting like such an idiot when it didn't matter anyway!

"It's not like he was even telling me the truth," she muttered, pulling on the ends of her hair. People that were in love didn't act like Laxus. They acted like Bisca and Alzack, or…anyone but Laxus! People that loved another person showed them with words and kindness. Laxus had never done any of those things. He'd saved her life a bunch of times, but that didn't count. Any decent comrade would have done the same.

And Bisca and Alzack did other things, too. Alzack called Bisca beautiful. Bisca made food and cakes and things. They had Asuka. Natsumi herself had caught them making out behind the guild too many times to not know the details of how _that_ happened.

They were attracted to each other. She and Laxus weren't. He'd been annoyed when he caught her in the bath. He'd called her stunted and short as she'd grown up. There was no way. Not that she thought he was attractive, even if her dream had tricked her into thinking that for a minute. She'd respected him as a mage and a fighter and as a comrade. She only had to look at him to see the reminder of their bond, even if Laxus wouldn't admit it himself. She'd never given much thought to boys and looks—even her own. It didn't matter if she thought Laxus was tall or broad. That was just what he was. It was a fact. He had a sharp jawline and a deep voice and shiny hair. Anyone with eyes could see that. But that didn't mean she thought he was attractive!

It'd never seemed like a big deal that Laxus just looked different from everyone else. Shined brighter, looked fiercer, spoke harsher. At least, it hadn't until he'd gone and ruined everything by being an ass and making her brain feel like a jumbled mess!

"Why do I even care about stupid Laxus and his stupid feelings?" she whispered to herself, bringing her knees to her chest and burying her head between them. It didn't matter what she thought of him because he didn't love her in the first place. If he had, she'd been there the whole time and he hadn't done anything. He'd only patted her head and told her to get stronger and freaked out in baths—.

Her brain caught on a memory, disrupting her chain of thought.

* * *

 _December 29, X780_

" _I'm telling you, ever since he filled out, he's been the hottest thing this side of Mt. Hakabe," Mira said, giggling along with Cana and Levy as they sat around a table in the guild hall._

" _I don't think it's appropriate to talk about fellow guild members this way," Erza scolded._

 _Mira glared at the newest S-Class wizard. "If you're going to be a party pooper, then go away. Everyone knows you're frigid anyway."_

" _I'm not frigid! Just because I'm not a wanton floozy like you doesn't mean—"_

" _Yeah, whatever," Cana said as she took a sip of a drink she'd stolen from Wakaba._

" _What are you guys talking about?" Natsumi interrupted, having overheard their conversation with a blushing Levy in tow._

 _Mira smirked, leaning over the table. "We're talking about_ that _," she pointed to Laxus, who was sprawled out in a chair across the guild, leaning it back on two legs as Evergreen and Freed doted on him. He didn't appear to notice them, as his sound pods were on and his eyes were closed._

" _Laxus?" Natsumi asked, confusion lacing her tone. "Why are you talking about Laxus? Are you guys going to challenge him?" Her eyes lit up in excitement about the potential coup._

 _Cana rolled her eyes. "Not unless the challenge is horizontal," she muttered._

" _Cana!" Levy and Erza gasped in unison, turning identical shades of red._

" _What? It's true. Look at the guy," she gestured to the lightning mage again. Mira sighed._

" _Do you think he's…done it before?" Levy asked, turning redder by the second, a stark contrast to the blue of her hair._

 _Erza paled. "I hardly think that's appropriate."_

" _Of course he has. He's gorgeous, he's got daddy issues, and he's got a fucking battle scar. He's no virgin," Cana snorted, taking another sip of her drink._

" _Gorgeous? Try ruggedly handsome," Mira corrected, not taking her gaze off Laxus. "He's got a shit attitude, but the rest of him almost makes it worth it."_

" _Oh please, you can't stand the guy. Just because you grew boobs doesn't mean you have to go chasing after the first hot guy you see." To emphasize her point, Cana gave Mira's chest a harsh poke, making the older girl wince._

 _Levy tried to calm down her older friends. "Come on, guys. It's not polite to talk about someone like this. And I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate the speculation on his…private life."_

" _I don't get what the big deal is," Natsumi interjected, slamming her fist down on the table. "It's not Laxus's fault that he's got muscles and nice hair. And what do boobs even have to do with it?" She poked her own chest, a modest, but recent development. "Am I going to want to jump Laxus just 'cause I have boobs?!"_

 _SLAM._

 _The girls looked over to find Laxus on the floor, having fallen out of his chair. He remained frozen and unblinking as he stared directly at Natsumi, a hushed silence falling over the guild._

 _After several seconds, he picked himself up, looking like he'd just short-circuited. Managing to shrug off the overbearing doting of the Thunder Legion, he darted up the stairs, taking pains to not look in the direction of the girls._

" _That…was weird," Cana said, processing what had just happened._

 _Mira giggled. "Looks like Laxus isn't as smooth as we thought," she giggled._

" _He's only 19! That's what I was trying to tell you all," Levy admonished._

 _Natsumi still wasn't sure what the big deal was._

* * *

Her head still resting against her knees, Natsumi blinked away the memory.

Now that she thought about it, her head was full of memories of Laxus behaving like that. That had been the first time, but he'd acted that way at the bathhouse, too, as well as countless time in between. Had he…had he actually liked her all this time?

She decided that it was impossible to know if he'd just been shocked the first few times, but his reactions never seemed to change. She'd always just thought it was normal that Laxus was a little awkward in a way that no one else seemed to notice, but had she been wrong? Had Laxus been telling her the truth?

Like the pieces of a puzzle finally fitting together, her brain clicked. Laxus was attracted to her, was confused and flustered by her, not that she really understood why. That realization sat in the pit of her stomach, heavy like she'd just tried to eat her own flames. She clutched her legs tighter to her.

It shouldn't matter if he liked her or not. What did matter was how she'd looked up to him when she was younger and wanted him to think of her as his equal now, even if she wasn't yet his match in magical power. It mattered how he refused to acknowledge that he thought she was worth anything. She could accept that he was physically attracted to her, but she couldn't believe that he loved her. At least, he didn't love her in a way that she could tolerate.

So he was attracted to her. That was that. She tried to pick herself up from the ground but found her knees to still be shaky. Sucking in a deep breath, she leaned over the kitchen sink, trying to calm her racing heart.

Why did this matter so much to her? Why did she have to worry about Laxus liking her and her wondering why she felt the things and dreamed the things she did when they just confused her and made her brain feel like it was doing gymnastics? It would be so much easier if everyone just let her solve her problems with her fists rather than her emotions. She wasn't a deep person; she just wanted what she was due. As much as she loved and respected Lucy and Levy and their romantic ideas of flowery dresses and dinner dates, that wasn't for her. It wasn't her world.

And if Laxus came up to her simpering about how he couldn't fight her because of his mushy feelings, then he'd get his eyebrows roasted off, regardless of if he fought back or not. They were both warriors, and they weren't supposed to be soft. She'd fight and brawl and push through this one way or another, but she refused to be put up on some pedestal and held back just because some guy said he loved her, even if she thought he was kind of pretty.

Finally feeling stable and ready to face the teasing of her Exceed partner, she took in a deep breath and opened the bathroom door. She and Happy had a train to catch and a life to get back to.

* * *

 **Note:** So many flashbacks. So little time.

I know it may seem like nothing's actually happened, but please be patient! I promise good things will come to those who wait. It was really important to me to portray a Natsumi that sticks to her guns and doesn't let others try and sway from what she feels is right. And I agree with her. She obviously doesn't have all the information, but from her perspective, she doesn't want to let someone put her in a box and treat her like an invalid-and neither should anyone, for that matter. Relationships are about healthy compromise, and you shouldn't let go of your identity for anybody or anything, even if the person says they love you.

Okay, I totally didn't mean to go all soapbox, but my point stands. This is a relatively slow burn story, so just bear with me while I develop stuff, please! As always, reviews are my favorite thing ever, and I hope you're all still enjoying the story. I'll admit I'm probably having too much fun posting it.

 **Next Chapter Preview:** This is the Darkest Timeline

 _"This is what it's all about, guys. Just us, the open road, and the imminent ass kicking we're going to give those bastards,"_


	6. This is the Darkest Timeline

**AN:** The site is still busted and I still can't see my chapter views. I'm beginning to worry that this is just how it's going to be now. Regardless, I'm still posting chapters. There's enough subscribers where I would feel bad if I held off just because I'm selfish and I want to see how many views I have.

Never-ending thank yous to those who read, reviewed, subscribed, and favorited the last installment. Each of you have made my day just by choosing to spend a bit of your time reading this self-indulgence and I'll always appreciate it!

Last chapter, we got a look inside Natsumi's head. Now it's Laxus's turn. I had way too much fun with the Thunder Legion. Please Enjoy!

* * *

 **This is the Darkest Timeline**

Laxus paced his apartment, bored and anxious. He'd finally been released from the infirmary with a clean bill of health, save for the burn scabs on his forearms. The one perk about dragon slayer magic was that he never had to worry about broken bones or torn muscles for more than a week, and his ribs had only been bruised, luckily.

Not that he felt any better. Physically, he was as solid as ever, but the memory of Natsumi's face as she stormed out of the infirmary claiming he didn't know anything about love stuck with him, taunted him. He hadn't wanted to tell her about his feelings at all, and he'd known she probably wouldn't react well, but the actuality of it was still jarring and it fucking hurt. She didn't believe him or didn't want to, and he couldn't think of many other things that sucked more.

A knock at the door interrupted his pacing. He wanted to ignore it, not wanting to bother with anyone today, but it persisted.

"We know you're in there, Laxus. Open the door, please," Freed's muffled voice called through the door.

When he still made no move to answer, Freed sighed. "I guess we'll have to take this job request to Oak Town on our own. More than a week tracking a dark guild convoy through the quiet, secluded mountains."

Laxus glared at the door as Bickslow's dolls chanted about mountains.

"Oh well. We tried," Freed continued, his voice light. "Evergreen, when did Natsumi's job request say she'd be due back?"

Those bastards. He knew what they were trying to do, and it was pissing him off. What was worse, it was actually a good idea, but hell if he'd tell them that.

"Why, Freed, she should be back any day now," Evergreen said, sounding like she was trying to hold in her laugher. "She's only left to Hargeon yesterday, so odds are she won't take more than a few days. I wouldn't be surprised if she came barging into the guild this afternoon."

"That's nice to hear. Perhaps we should all stay and welcome her back?"

Laxus threw open the door and snatched the job request from Freed's already outstretched hands. He chose to ignore the Thunder Legion's collectively smug look as he skimmed the flyer. Sure enough, Freed was right. It paid well and it would guarantee to put them on the opposite side of the country from Natsumi for at least a week. Maybe by then, he'd have his shit figured out.

"Fine. Let me pack." He slammed the door in their faces. After that stunt, he'd be damned if he let them in his house. They could stay in the hall and giggle like schoolgirls for all he cared. All he could think about was how he'd managed an escape from dealing with Natsumi for a little while longer.

An hour later, he was on the train, miserably sitting between Evergreen and the window and trying to ignore Bickslow's attempts to get him to talk through his nausea.

"This is what it's all about, guys. Just us, the open road, and the imminent ass kicking we're going to give those bastards," the knight chattered, leaning back in his seat across from Laxus.

"Bastards!" his dolls screeched from his lap, and Laxus felt his head pound with his rising temper.

"Put those fucking things away before I make you," he growled, scrunching his eyes up to combat his growing nausea.

The seith mage wasn't impressed. "No need to take your shitty mood out on the babies. It's not their fault you got rejec—"

"Bickslow!" Evergreen barked with an evil look at Bickslow.

Laxus would've punched him for a crack like that if he felt better. Instead, he just slid his sound pods on and cranked up the volume of his music to a deafening level. He wasn't sure how he was going to survive the ride if they were going to harp on him like this. Even if he felt like talking, it's not like he'd have anything to say for himself. Mira and Lucy were right about everything they'd said. He'd screwed up.

And now she didn't believe him, and he'd have to deal with it somehow.

As the loud music pounded through the speakers around his ears. He swallowed the lump in his throat, not sure if it was from his motion sickness or screwy emotions. Laxus would die before he let anyone know it, but Natsumi's blatant rejection had struck him more deeply than even he'd realized. He'd lain awake each night in the infirmary, not able to sleep until exhaustion overwhelmed him. The pit in his stomach each time he thought of her words made it difficult to maintain any sort of appetite, and he wasn't sure how to get around it.

He'd never let anyone have this sort of power over him before, and she'd suddenly come along and he hadn't had a choice but to love her.

Because he'd been telling her the truth, and it fucking hurt.

He hadn't always loved her, hadn't always seen the beauty underneath the bruises and dirt and matted pink hair, but he remembered the first time he had.

* * *

 _May 14, X782_

" _Happy Birthday, Natsumi!" the guild yelled as the dragon slayer in question stepped through the doors with Happy in tow. Even from his spot leaning against the banister of the second floor, he could see her eyes light up and the huge, toothy smile take over her face._

" _Wow! Thanks you guys!" she shouted, making her way further into the building and the fold of the crowd. "But you know that I don't really know when my birthday is, right?"_

" _Yes," Mira said sweetly, emerging from behind the bar to bring out a huge cake with 'Happy Birthday' written in giant, swirling frosting letters, "but everyone should get to celebrate their 16_ _th_ _birthday! We figured this was as good a day as any to have a party."_

" _I picked the cake out myself. I hope it is to your satisfaction," Erza said. Laxus rolled his eyes. Like she cared if Natsumi liked the cake or not. She'd gotten the strawberry flavored monstrosity for her own benefit._

" _It's great! I can't wait to try it," she beamed, looking at the crowd of well-wishers._

" _Well, what are we waiting for? Let's party!" Gramps shouted, and everyone erupted into cheers. Laxus watched from his solitary place on top of the stairs, wondering why they needed all needed such a specific excuse to throw a party when it seemed like there was a nonsense celebration every other day. The whole thing would have been stupid, if not for how the room seemed to shine a bit brighter when Natsumi smiled like she was._

 _He saw Cana and Levy talking to Natsumi, who engulfed them both in a monstrous hug. They all burst out laughing, and Laxus felt an unfamiliar pang of jealousy at their closeness, which confused him just as much as it freaked him out. He'd known Natsumi for years, saved her stupid, reckless ass countless times and got a face decoration to show for it. There was no reason to feel this way._

 _She and Happy were making their rounds, seeming intent to hug every goddamn person in the guild hall. Suddenly, her smile faltered as she turned, turning from side to side as if looking for something._

 _Her eyes drifted up and fell on Laxus, and her smile returned, joyous and excited. Laxus felt his heart stutter. She looked so…happy to see him._

" _Laxus! Come down here!" she called, waving at him._

" _Why should I?" he smirked down at her amidst the celebrating guild._

 _She pouted. "It's my birthday, moron!"_

" _You said yourself that you don't know when your birthday is."_

" _For all I know, it could be today," she told him, hands on hips. Her expression softened, eyes widening as he made no move toward the stairs. "Please?"_

 _And before he knew it, his legs were moving without his permission, descending the stairs and walking towards the pink-haired dragon slayer. She looked ecstatic as he approached, elbowing his way through the crowd that was too busy drinking and dancing to make a path for him._

 _Without further ado, she rushed him, throwing her arms around his waist in a spine-crushing hug. "Thanks, Laxus," she mumbled against him, not letting go._

 _For a moment, Laxus wasn't sure what was happening. This was a new one, he thought. He was used to Natsumi challenging him, mouthing off to him, but not pressing up against him. He tentatively brought his arms up to her shoulders, patting her awkwardly. She snuggled closer to him, and he had to physically will his face from heating up when he realized just exactly what the softness against his belly was._

 _After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled away to smile back up at him._

" _Uh, yeah. Happy Birthday, I guess," he mumbled, and she laughed. The sound made his stomach feel heavy, like he'd been punched in the gut in the best kind of way._

 _He was lucky when she turned and went to where Erza was already cutting into her cake. He didn't want to explain why he was acting so weird, at least in his opinion. Retreating back up to the second level, he observed the remainder of the party, wondering what the hell was wrong with him._

 _He felt gross for the way his eyes seemed to look at Natsumi in a new light. He didn't want to notice the taught skin of her bare abdomen, and the way her pants sat low on her hips. It was probably best if he left and tried to scrub away the memory of how her breasts had pressed up against him with nothing but his shirt and her wrappings to separate them. It wasn't right and he wasn't a creep. He'd die before he admitted any of this to anyone._

 _Natsumi was an obnoxious, albeit slightly endearing kid. She wasn't supposed to look like a woman and he wasn't supposed to notice, and now he had._

 _He felt ashamed of himself, but his heart beat faster every time she laughed that evening._

* * *

Laxus knocked his head gently against the window, swallowing back a gag once more. So maybe he hadn't realized he loved her then, but since that day, he'd been wary of the way she moved, the way she looked. He'd hated himself for it, but couldn't stop, comforting himself with the knowledge that he'd never turn into one of those assholes that chased girls way too young for them.

It wasn't just her body, though. The way she laughed and smiled made him want to come closer, be a part of those moments, even though he never let himself. She was the heart of the guild. She lived for everyone around her, and the way she felt everyone's defeats as much as their victories was inspiring. At the time, he'd thought that was a weakness. He would always regret how long it took for him to see that quality as Natsumi's greatest strength; a strength that even he didn't possess.

He doubted he'd ever rival the kind of unwavering inner strength she had. Because he was weak. He'd cowered from his problems. He'd let himself become bitter and angry until it controlled him. Even after Guildarts reinstated him, he let his fear and guilt drive him. Fear of becoming a monster again, fear of still being one, fear of his own feelings.

And now he was paying the consequences once again for his stupidity.

So overcome with the dizziness from the train ride and the heaviness in his heart, he allowed himself to drift into unconsciousness, unaware of the concerned looks on his teams' faces.

* * *

It was the third time that trip that Laxus had snapped.

"I told you three hours ago that the fucking trail went west, but you fuckers didn't listen to me! God!" he shouted at his teammates. Coming up on a week into their mission, they'd been wandering aimlessly through the mountains, occasionally catching glimpses of evidence that someone else had been through this part of the forest. However, Freed and Evergreen fought him on every decision he made, and he couldn't take it anymore.

"At this rate, that convoy is going to be onto the next town before we even pull our heads out of our asses!"

"Hey, man, chill out." Bickslow said, leaning against a nearby tree. His dolls circled around him, but thankfully didn't say anything. Laxus thought he might fry them all if they did.

"Chill out?" he laughed, humorless. "I'm sorry, did you just give me an order?" They were asking to get their asses handed to them, and the more this mission dragged on, the more willing Laxus was to give it to them.

"I think what Bickslow meant," Freed said, his tone reasonable, "was that we could all probably use a deep breath. I'm sure with our combined talents, we'll be on the trail in no time."

Laxus rolled his eyes at the rune mage, resisting the urge to kick the nearest tree trunk in frustration. "That's what you've been saying since we started this goddamn mission! We need to get it together!"

"We'd have it together if we were acting like a team," Evergreen said from her seat amidst a mess of tree roots. "But we aren't. We've been stumbling around here because we're all distracted, and we're not doing anyone any favors by trying to pretend that everything's normal."

"And by 'we,' you mean 'me,' right?"

"I was trying to be polite, but yes, I mean you. You've done nothing but mope and brood since we got here, and we need you to lead us."

The blonde glared at the fairy mage across from him. "Don't act like we don't have to put up with your bullshit every time Elfman does something stupid to you."

"This isn't about that!" she shouted, standing up. "We're all worried about you and you've taken out your frustration on us!"

Biting back a retort, Laxus turned around so they couldn't see his face. He tried to take several deep breaths, but found that he couldn't.

"Laxus," Freed began, stepping closer to the lightning mage, "we've tried to tiptoe around the issue because we know you aren't necessarily keen on sharing your thoughts." Laxus scoffed, but said nothing. "But this isn't healthy anymore and I think you know that. Talk to us, please. We're your friends."

Clenching his fists, he turned to face his team once more. They all stood before him, wearing identical looks of concern, although Bickslow's was obscured by his visor. He sighed.

"Look, guys. I know I'm being a dick and I know I'm making everyone miserable—well, more than usual, but I physically cannot sit down and have some heart to heart with you right now."

Evergreen's face fell, looking like she'd just taken a slap to the face. Laxus felt terrible. It looked like he couldn't stop making everyone around him unhappy these days.

"I just…I just need to hit things and figure out what the fuck is wrong with me and I can't do that if we don't find the fucking convoy. I'm sorry."

Freed stepped forward and laid a hand on Laxus's shoulder. "We understand. But we'd appreciate your patience while we all try to do this together. We're all trying out best."

Reluctantly, Laxus nodded. It wasn't fair to take out his anger on them when they hadn't done anything. He needed to be the leader they deserved and not some heartsick child that couldn't control themselves. Laxus was a stone cold tactician, not the apathetic mess he'd let himself become since getting rejected so handily.

"Yeah, okay. Sorry guys."

They all nodded, and Evergreen smiled once more.

"It's alright, man. Just chill and everything'll be fine," Bickslow shrugged, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Laxus allowed himself a short laugh. That was easier said than done.

They'd just finished shouldering their packs again when a sound from up ahead snapped Laxus's head to the side.

"Did you guys hear that?" He asked, already moving toward what he thought was the shuffle of dense undergrowth. Looking back, he received a nod from Freed, who wordlessly motioned Evergreen and Bickslow to follow Laxus.

The group silently trailed the noise through the dense foliage of the forest, and soon enough, they began to hear voices. Turning to his teammates, Laxus's face broke out into a predatory grin. They'd finally found their quarry.

"Looks like you'll get your wish," Freed quipped, though his smirk was nearly as devious as his leader's.

Without a word, Laxus shot forward, the Thunder Legion hot on his heels.

* * *

Laxus sighed, watching Bickslow finish tying the last of the unconscious dark mages up. He'd expected much more of a challenge from the group that had been causing mayhem all through the surrounding mountain villages, but it'd been all too easy. The others had let him do most of the work, but even still, he hadn't had to employ even intermediate level spells. It would've been a waste of energy, anyway.

"Feel any better?" Freed said as he came to stand beside the tall blonde.

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Because nothing's changed." It was true. The frustration at being unable to find the convoy had abated, but it did nothing for the underlying turmoil inside him. It didn't change the fact that in a matter of days, he'd have to face Natsumi again, and he still had no plan of action. At this point, he wasn't sure if actually doing something would have any effect. It wasn't like his other attempts went well. He still felt sick every time he thought of her and how she hated him.

He was so tired of second guessing himself and rethinking everything he did, and he was even more tired of feeling like such a self-pitying fuck.

"I don't know how I'm going to ever look her in the face again. She was so angry," he explained. And hurt, he thought, but he kept that to himself.

Bickslow laughed, having finished his duties. "Yeah, she was. I thought she was going to wipe you off the face of the Earth."

"Not helping," Freed gave Bickslow a measured look, which the latter ignored.

The sound of splintering wood made the three men look to the upended carriage, where Evergreen was prying off lose panels.

"What?" she asked, glaring at them behind her glasses, "Surprised that someone is actually doing some work around here? We're going to need firewood more than these schmucks need their buggy," she sniffed and threw her hair over her shoulder. The rest of the team moved to join her in breaking down the carriage.

The fairy mage looked to Laxus as they pried the slightly charred boards apart. She hated to see Laxus this way, and so she'd done the only thing she knew how: put him to work. Laxus never got anywhere when left with his thoughts. He needed to do something with his bare hands. She wasn't much for advice; her own abysmal love life was proof enough of that, but she knew that Laxus had a brain between his ears that rivaled the best when he actually used it. Given enough time—and begrudging support—she had faith that he'd figure something out.

Laxus relished how the boards cracked under his fingertips, breaking under blunt force rather than lightning. He laughed to himself, thinking that the fucking carriage was putting up more of a fight than those sorry excuses for mages had. He wished all his problems were this easily solved. Need fire wood? Break down a carriage. Someone giving you shit? Punch them in the face. Make an irate dragon slayer forgive you? Not nearly as straightforward.

He'd been wracking his brain for ideas for how to make it up to her for the past week, and each time, he drew a blank. Lucy and Mira had tried to help, but they put too much faith in his ability to convince Natsumi that he wasn't playing some elaborate prank on her. He knew he had to do something, though, and he was feeling even more panicky now that there was nothing stopping his team from returning to Magnolia, where she'd almost certainly be waiting.

Laxus couldn't just go on with his life pretending that nothing was wrong when things very much _were_. He tossed another fractured board into their makeshift pile with more force than necessary.

Any other time, Laxus would have been secretly pleased at how much his opinion seemed to mean to Natsumi. Hell, every time she smiled that blinding, ecstatic smile at him, it made his head tingle and his heart pound. But it killed him to know that he'd failed her in that. She thought he saw her as weak and useless, and he couldn't think of how he was going to fix it.

Hadn't she already proved herself against him at the Harvest Festival? All she ever wanted was to go toe to toe with him, and he'd given her his all when she and Gajeel fought him, even if he'd been haunted by it ever since. In a way, she'd won that fight, even if it hadn't been entirely on her own.

But he guessed it didn't matter. Natsumi still hated him, and he still deserved it.

Frustrated, he slammed a fist down on the side of the carriage, throwing sparks as wood planks went flying in every direction. His teammates threw themselves to the floor, Bickslow barely managing to duck a sharpened splinter that sailed for his head.

"Jesus! Watch what you're doin' there!" he shouted, his face still pressed to the ground.

"Sorry," Laxus grunted, moving to pick up some broken pieces.

Evergreen glared at their distracted leader, unhappy that her plan to spur Laxus to figure out a solution through manual labor was failing before her eyes.

"At least you have a helmet, Bickslow. The rest of us aren't so lucky," she grumbled as she picked herself up from the ground to help Laxus gather their new firewood haul. She knew he didn't mean anything by his outburst, but she didn't favor almost being skewered with no forewarning, no matter how frustrated the lightning mage was.

"Next time you decide to do that," Freed said, dusting off his coat, "let me put a rune cage up first. I hate chasing the stray pieces."

At Freed's comment, Laxus froze in the midst of reaching for his next piece. Concerned, the Thunder Legion looked at their leader, who's expression had shifted from morose to calculating, his eyes lighting up.

Laxus had an idea.

Doing nothing simply wasn't an option anymore. He couldn't continue to cause Natsumi pain; there simply wasn't an excuse for it. No matter what it took, he'd earn her trust back, even if she hated him and there wasn't any chance of her ever returning his feelings. Even if it destroyed him, he'd make it right so she could move on. She deserved that from him, especially since he'd done nothing but punish her for his mistakes for months. He steeled himself. For her, he would do it, come what may.

"Hey, Freed," he called, dropping his gathered wood pile and turning to face his green-haired friend.

"Yes?" Though shocked by Laxus's sudden change in demeanor, Freed couldn't help but smile, thankful that, for the first time in days, the blonde seemed to not be knee-deep in the throes of desperate pining.

Laxus couldn't help the smile that crawled onto his face as he took in the looks of confusion his team was wearing. They'd understand soon enough.

"I need a favor."

* * *

 **Note:** Short, sweet, angsty. Laxus has a plan! Stay tuned, because we're getting ready to ramp up once again. I guarantee it'll be worth your while ;)

Now I just wanted to take some time to get something that bothered me a bit while writing this section. I addressed it within the story, but I just wanted to make sure no one gets the wrong idea. I definitely don't condone underage relationships. I tried to make it abundantly clear just how not okay Laxus was with finding himself attracted to Natsumi when their age difference really mattered. She was 16 in the flashback, which would make Laxus 21. That's not cool, folks, and Laxus knows it. He knows it'd be dead wrong to even think about letting her know about his feelings then, because he respects her and cares for her and isn't a huge creep. I don't want to write gross characters, and so I tried to make that evident. Laxus never intended to ever let Nat know, and if she had still been technically a kid, I don't think Laxus would have told her about his feelings a few chapters ago, even if he thought he had no choice.

 **Next Chapter Preview:** Your Cat is the Realest Person in Your Life

 _"Natsumi?"_

 _"Yeah?" she answered, clutching the cat closer to her chest, and burying her face into the plush fur on the scruff of his neck._

 _"I love you." She smiled against him, "I love you, too, Happy."_

 _"And Lucy loves you. And Gray and Erza and Wendy and Levy and Mira and Cana and probably even Gajeel, even if he does smell."_


	7. Your Cat is the Realest

**AN:** The view counter is restored! Hooray! Unfortunately, all of my viewing information in the days it was out (so 3/4 chapters) was lost, but I'm honestly just happy to have the ability to see it back. Plus, it's not like there won't be quite a few chapters in the future ;).

Anyway, last chapter was a more introspection/transition, and this one is sort of the same deal. BUT please continue to be patient. I promise many many things are coming down the pipeline. However, I do have to make sure all the bricks are layed before I go knocking the walls down. Plus, I sort of have to bring everyone onto the same timeline, since (as you might have noticed) Laxus' and Natsumi's individual mission adventures were sort of staggered.

Enough of my rambling, though. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Your Cat is the Realest Person in Your Life**

Natsumi inhaled the scent of her hometown, glad to finally be off that godforsaken train. Normally she'd have walked back, since Hargeon was so close to Magnolia, however, she was too excited to be home. After a week away from her family, she wanted to see Lucy and Erza and even that damned stripper.

It also helped that she felt lighter than she had. Being away helped ease the unfamiliar anxiety she carried about Laxus, and though she'd been haunted by the memory of him both while sleeping and while conscious, she couldn't avoid the problem forever. It wasn't in her nature to stand idly by while the world spun on around her.

She'd come to a decision: she was still loathe to talk to Laxus, and she didn't intend to until he came to his senses, but she wouldn't avoid her family for his sake. They were more important than her desire to be away from him, and their support was far greater than her problems.

Happy fluttered around her, tucking on her scarf in the direction of the guild. Smiling, she followed the airborne feline through the flower-lined streets, taking in the storefronts and the passersby that she'd missed while away.

"It's good to be back," she sighed out, bringing her hands behind her head as she ambled along the road.

"I hope Carla missed me as much as I missed her," Happy purred out. He let go of Natsumi's scarf so he could spin around in circles, his mind wandering to Wendy's Exceed companion. Natsumi laughed, hoping for his sake that Carla decided to finally acknowledge him.

"Let's hope so, buddy," she said, knowing that the white cat was just going to turn up her nose at Happy's next fish offering regardless. She hoped Happy would bounce back as quickly as he usually did, as it seemed like he was as unlucky in love as she was.

Natsumi stopped in her tracks, eyes widening at the direction her thoughts had turned.

In love?

She slapped both hands to her cheeks to scramble those forbidden thoughts. She was talking crazy. Well, thinking crazy, at least. Natsumi couldn't possibly be in love with that idiot, and it was so stupid that she felt angry for letting her brain slip up like that.

She was past this. It wasn't worth the energy of thinking about, since she couldn't accept someone that didn't respect her enough to see her for who she was, and not some worthless doll. Natsumi could never allow herself to love someone that thought that was okay.

With that single errant thought, her mood plummeted. As she grew closer to the guild, Happy noticed her souring demeanor and stopped his love-struck babbling.

Angry at her shattered resolve, Natsumi pushed onward, trying to swallow the sinking feeling in her gut. Laxus would be at the guild, waiting for her. Would he try to talk to her? Her fist clenched at the thought. Like hell she'd just let that fucker try to butter her up again with fake platitudes.

"Are you okay?" Happy flew to Natsumi, eclipsing her vision with his closeness.

Natsumi tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Reaching forward, she wrapped her arms around the Exceed in a fierce hug.

"I'm not sure, but I'm trying to be," she said into the hug. "But I won't know until we go back."

Pulling away, Happy smiled up at his best friend. "Don't worry! I'll be with you the whole time! And so will Lucy."

Natsumi's smile was successful this time. "Thanks, buddy."

Pushing down the panicky feeling that made her hands shake, she released her hold on the cat and resumed her journey to the guild hall with renewed purpose. Her determination stayed with her as she pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the guild hall. Heads turned at the commotion, shocked by the way Natsumi entered the guild as if prepared to face an army of attackers. The girl's eyes darted back and forth as she advanced, making no greetings.

Mira and Lucy, whose conversation at the bar was interrupted by the commotion, watched with concern as Natsumi made her way toward them, trailed by an uncharacteristically silent Happy. They shot each other a look, wondering if the dragon slayer hadn't calmed down from her mission as they'd anticipated.

The celestial mage silently regarded the smaller pink-haired girl as she hopped onto a barstool next to her. The tension in Natsumi's shoulders worried her friend.

She tentatively reached out a hand to touch the dragon slayer's shoulder in greeting. Slowly, Natsumi faced her. The girl didn't relax her focused expression, but nodded a greeting to Lucy and Mira. Without speaking, she turned in her seat, once again scanning the guild with eagle eyes.

"Don't worry. Your boyfriend hasn't been here for days," Gray quipped from his seat at the end of the bar.

Natsumi's posture immediately slackened with relief before her eyes lit up with anger as she processed the rest of Gray's words.

She wheeled on him, a harsh glare on her face. "He is NOT my boyfriend! If I hear you talking like that again, Popsicle, I'm going to melt you!" For good measure, she ignited a fist and waved it in the ice mage's direction.

Before he could bite out a snarky retort, a meaningful look from Mira shut Gray up. Suppressing a shiver threatening to make its way down his bare spine, he turned back to his drink. It was one thing to pick a fight with Natsumi, but an entirely different thing to awaken the Demon of Fairy Tail.

"So," Lucy began, trying to be diplomatic in distracting Natsumi from Gray's antagonism. "How was the job? You took your sweet time. Please tell me you didn't take out half the city again."

The dragon slayer drooped at her friend's lack of faith in her. "We didn't destroy anything this time," she pouted. "Well, I kind of lit part of the pier on fire. There was an oil spill and it just sort of happened—but no one said anything! We got the full reward!" She held up her hands when she saw Lucy's glare at the words 'pier' and 'on fire.'

"Yeah! Natsumi got a whole den full of bad guys! It was so cool!" Happy cheered, sitting on the bar counter between the two girls.

The celestial wizard relaxed, accepting their news as the truth. "Good. We still need to make rent and you're still under punishment from the Master. When the penalties come out of your reward, where does it leave you?"

Natsumi scratched her head, shrugging. "Who knows? Math makes my brain fuzzy."

Rolling her eyes, Lucy held out her hand. The older girl took the hint and handed over the stack of Jewels from her pocket. The blonde counted it out quickly, doing the mental math for the forty percent deduction the Master was taking as punishment for her friend attacking Laxus.

"Good news is that, even with the penalty, you'll definitely be able to make your rent for this month," she smiled and handed the money back. Natsumi pocketed it with an answering smile and turned to Mira to order an entrée in celebration.

"I forgot how lucrative jobs could be when you don't lose most of the reward in repair costs," Lucy said as the barmaid disappeared into the kitchen. "Why can't you manage it when the whole team goes on a job?"

"Probably because Natsumi was too distracted to blow up any buildings," Happy teased. He ignored the dirty look the dragon slayer threw him, smirking up at Lucy.

The blonde raised an eyebrow, her suspicions confirmed. She bit back the sly comment about what her friend's distraction could possibly stem from, opting for a more subtle approach.

Undeterred, the cat continued. "She just kept beating up random groups of bandits for days. It took her days to realize she never found out where they were hiding," he giggled. "She was too busy thinking about who she liiiiikes."

"I was not!" Natsumi growled. "And I got the job done, didn't I? All you did was fly around and make fun of them while I kicked their asses."

"I'm sure he only did that because you had it under control," Lucy placated with an awkward laugh. It seemed Natsumi was still feeling sensitive about her conflict with Laxus, and she didn't want the dragon slayer to accidentally take it out on Happy, even if he was teasing her. She decided to leave the other girl be for the time being. Maybe later she'd be more willing to talk about her feelings, since it didn't seem like she was ready to acknowledge that it was still bothering her right now. For now, she'd try to get Natsumi out of her own head.

"Hey, Happy. Don't you think Carla looks hungry?" True to form, Happy's eyes lit up at the mention of the female Exceed. Lucy opened her mouth in mock surprise, her hand flying to her mouth. "Don't tell me you haven't said hello to her yet? I'm sure she missed you."

The cat was gone before she finished her statement, flying at full speed to the table where Carla sat with Wendy and Levy.

"Damn, I'm good," she smirked to herself as she looked back to her friend, who was now busy digging into an enormous hamburger, courtesy of a newly returned Mira. Even after all the shared meals, both in the guild, at home, or gathered around the fireplace, Lucy was always amazed at the girl's ability to put away food at such speed. Within minutes, the plate in front of her was clean, leaving nothing but crumbs behind.

Natsumi, now with a full stomach, was feeling much calmer, especially since finding out that Laxus was gone. She wouldn't admit it, but she was grateful for the Ice Bastard for giving her a heads up about where he'd gone. Maybe she'd get a few days to finish convincing her stupid brain that Laxus and his shit didn't matter.

Feeling a tug on her arm, she found Lucy smiling over at her.

"Come on," her friend said, standing up and motioning Natsumi to follow. "Let's head home. I got some cookie dough from the store yesterday that has our names on it as long as you promise to save some long enough to make actual cookies out of it."

Not needing to be told twice, Natsumi shot up to the second floor to drop off her penalty money with the Master, never losing the excited smile on her face.

Lucy rolled her eyes at her antics. She'd let Natsumi have a reprieve, but her friend was dead wrong if she thought she'd let her run from her feelings, especially when they were so obvious. As her best friend, it was Lucy's duty to make sure her friend got past whatever she was going through, and that included boy troubles—even if the thought of Natsumi having boy troubles was still a weird thought to entertain.

When the dragon slayer returned from her errand, it was Lucy's turn to be dragged out of the guild.

"Come on, Luce! You promised me cookies. You coming, Happy?" The dragon slayer didn't stop to acknowledge the dejected 'Aye, sir' that the cat uttered in response, having just been rejected by Carla once again.

* * *

The next days were the most normal Natsumi had felt since returning from the Grand Magic Games. With brawls at the guild, Lucy spoiling her with chicken wings, and running from Erza's wrath, the dragon slayer was enjoying how clear her mind was. With the way things were, it was easy to put aside her worries and her anger in favor of having fun.

She should have known Lucy would never let her forget it for long.

As she lay sprawled out on their living room couch one evening, shoveling potato chips into her mouth, Lucy came in from the kitchen, taking a dainty seat across from her. Judging by the serious expression on her face, she knew what Lucy had to tell her couldn't be good. She gulped, her hand frozen in the chip bag on her chest.

Clearing her throat, the blonde began.

"I know it's been a few days since you've been back, and I really hoped you'd come to me before I had to resort to this, but I was wrong." The blonde crossed her hands over her chest and shifted in her chair. "I don't know when Laxus will be back, but you have to confront your feelings. Stop pretending like everything's fine."

The dragon slayer averted her eyes. "Everything _is_ fine, Luce."

"Don't lie to me," Lucy glared. "You don't get over something like that in a few days, and we both know that you have no idea what to do once Laxus comes back."

"That's not true."

The scowl on Lucy's face didn't let up. Sighing, Natsumi sat up to face her properly, pushing the potato chip bag away. "I'm fine," she insisted, looking her friend in the eye. "I just want to forget that this ever happened so things can go back to normal."

"Are you sure you want that? It's not good to let things go unresolved like that. You were so angry. Can you just let go of that so easily?" The celestial mage spoke in an even voice, her face relaxing. She'd hear her friend out, but she wasn't the least bit convinced that her friend was as fine as she let on.

"I'm not good at feelings. Everyone knows that. I don't even really want to be. Everything so far has been so much trouble," she grumbled. She pulled at her scarf, unwinding it from her neck only to immediately redo it.

Lucy pursed her lips. "But what about Laxus? Despite what you said before, I really do think he was genuine. Aren't you being a little unfair? Maybe he had a good reason for the way he's acted." Trying to reason with her friend was like trying to reason with a brick wall, the blonde decided. She noticed the immediate stiffening of her friend's posture and suppressed the urge to rip out her own hair. As worried as she was about how Natsumi was handling the situation—that is, not handling it at all—she was frustrated with how deliberately oblivious she was being, not just about Laxus, but herself as well.

Natsumi narrowed her eyes at the blonde's questioning. "Even if this never happened, I don't get why Laxus would decide he was in love with me, especially since he thinks I'm some fragile person." As she talked, the pink-haired girl felt the frustration that she'd worked so hard to let go of over the past few days resurface. She dug her fingers into the fabric of the sofa cushions. "That'll never be me. He'd be much better off with someone that would like that sort of thing. I did a lot of thinking while I was away, even if it doesn't seem like it, and I guess I can believe he cares about me like that, but I'm not sure _why_ he would when I'm nothing like how he sees me. So it doesn't matter if he thinks I'm pretty or any stuff like that. Thinking about anything else is too much trouble," she finished, taking in a breath.

Lucy blinked at her friend. After several moments, she relaxed in the chair and leaned back, a look of surprise painted on her beautiful face.

"Wow, Nat. I didn't expect you to actually have given that serious thought—"

"Hey! You're acting like I don't have anything between my ears, Luce!"

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "If you took the time to actually think that much about this, then I'm pretty sure that's more than enough evidence to say that you care about him, even if you won't admit it out loud." The subsequent smirk told Natsumi that Lucy thought she'd just won, but it only annoyed the dragon slayer.

"How does that mean I like him?! I just told you it wasn't going to happen!" She clenched her fists, wishing she'd stayed later at the guild so she could've avoided this.

Lucy allowed herself a small smile. Natsumi wasn't fooling anyone, least of all herself.

"If you didn't like him, you'd have dismissed him outright and not thought about it anymore, like you do with everything that you don't care about. It wouldn't matter how angry his refusals to spare made you. But you actually thought about it. You like him, like I've been saying _this entire time_."

"I don't! He doesn't respect me, like _I've_ said this entire time! Why aren't you listening to me?!" Natsumi threw her hands up. She was getting so tired of Lucy's lectures, even if the other girl was just trying to look out for her. It hurt to have it thrown in her face when she was just starting to feel better.

"If this is all about fighting for you, what would you do if he agreed to it? Hmm? What happens when you have no more excuses to run away from stuff that scares you?"

Natsumi scoffed. "He never agreed to before except for Harvest Festival, and he was half crazy then anyway. That'd never happen." Petulantly, she crossed her arm over her chest.

"Stop avoiding the question or I'll call Virgo!"

"I already said I—"

"Open, gate of the—"

"I don't know, okay?!" Natsumi shot up off the couch, startling the blonde, who clutched Virgo's key to her chest in surprise. "What's the point?! He's never going to change and he's never going to see me as anything but an amateur that he has to take care of! It doesn't matter how I feel!" Her chest rose and fell rapidly as her face bloomed red in anger.

"So you _do_ care about him!"

"It doesn't matter, okay?! Leave me alone!" Natsumi boomed, the temperature in the room rising enough to make Lucy break out into a sweat. A small part of her brain wondered if she should call out a spirit just in case she really had pushed her friend too far, but she quickly and shamefully squashed it, knowing Natsumi would never hurt her, even at her angriest.

Despite this, she let the dragon slayer storm past her without further protest. A few seconds later, the sound of Natsumi's door slamming reverberated throughout the apartment, and Lucy sighed and hung her head.

While she didn't regret trying to get her friend to admit her feelings, she wished she'd handled it differently. She didn't mean to make Natsumi upset, but she didn't want her friend to go through life shutting down her emotions when things got difficult. Even worse, she didn't want her to give up the opportunity of loving someone that legitimately loved her in return and wanted to make her happy.

But now, it looked like it really and truly was out of Lucy's hands. No matter what she did, the dragon slayer insisted on doing everything her way.

Lucy just wished Natsumi would treat this like a mission and go barreling in headfirst instead of running away.

With a heavy heart, Lucy got up from her seat and began tidying the living room, picking up the forgotten potato chip bag and righting the sofa pillows. It was a pointless endeavor. By the time she finished her chores and nightly ablutions, she was just as upset as ever, and her heart ached for her friend as much as her head cursed her stupidity. Crawling into her bed, she settled in for a sleepless night.

* * *

Natsumi's vision was blurry by the time she slammed her door. She couldn't decide who she was angrier at: Lucy for pushing her, Laxus for starting all this, or herself for caring about any of it. The small girl scrubbed at her face, not wanting to deal with more tears, even when she was by herself.

She felt so tired. Having everything dredged back up like that brought back all her old concerns and fears, and it was exhausting. With a sigh, she threw off her clothes, and climbed into her hammock, intent on sleeping away the awful evening, when a squeak alerted her to a presence already in bed.

Jumping back, she came face to face with a sheepish Happy. Instantly, she knew he'd heard everything and braced herself for more torture, or worse, teasing. To her surprise, however, the cat patted the spot next to him without a word. Natsumi smiled and climbed in, glad that Happy knew that she couldn't take any more tonight.

She cuddled the cat close to her chest, inhaling his damp, slightly fishy smell. While not exactly pleasant, it was comforting. She could always trust Happy to be there when no one else was. They laid there in silence for what felt like an eternity, but as the time passed, Natsumi felt no closer to sleep, despite her emotional exhaustion. No matter what she did, though, she couldn't stop Lucy's words from rattling around in her head, or Laxus's face as he told her he wouldn't fight her, or how he looked like she'd slapped him when she yelled at him in the infirmary.

It wasn't fair. She didn't necessarily want to hurt him or any of her comrades. She'd screwed up when she'd attacked him, but she hadn't gone into it wanting to do it. Neither did she want to cause him pain by rejecting him, if he'd been serious like he and Lucy said. It'd just…happened, and she couldn't see any other way.

This whole thing just sucked, and, not for the first time, she wished she could go back and never challenge Laxus when they got back home from the Grand Magic Games. Better yet, she wished he'd just sparred her so they could have never had this problem in the first place and maybe she'd have known what to do when he told her loved her. Maybe then she'd—.

She flinched as she stopped her train of thought. No. She promised herself back in Hargeon that she wouldn't think about pointless stuff. Hell, she'd just told Lucy the same thing hours ago. Scrunching her eyes together, she took several deep breaths, willing herself to clear her head and go to sleep.

To keep herself grounded, she opened her eyes to the fluff ball curled against her. She watched Happy's back rise and fall with his even breathing, admiring how the cat could fall asleep anywhere and through anything, no matter what.

She reached out to allow herself a soft scratch behind his ears when he surprised her by speaking.

"Hey Natsumi?" he asked, making her flinch. He didn't turn to face her, however, and she smiled softly at his laziness.

"Yeah, little buddy?" she answered him in a whisper, not wanting to wake Lucy in the next room by talking too loudly.

"Lucy didn't mean to make you feel sad. She just want to make you happy. So do I."

"I know. It's alright." There wasn't much to be said about it. If she was honest, she wasn't really mad at Lucy. She really had only been trying to help. Lucy couldn't have known that Natsumi had already made up her mind about everything.

After a long silence, Natsumi thought the tiny Exceed had actually drifted off. Just as she began another attempt to sleep, Happy's small, yawning voice spoke again through the darkness. "Natsumi?"

"Yeah?" she answered, clutching the cat closer to her chest, and burying her face into the plush fur on the scruff of his neck.

"I love you." She smiled against him, "I love you, too, Happy."

"And Lucy loves you. And Gray and Erza and Wendy and Levy and Mira and Cana and probably even Gajeel, even if he does smell." She couldn't contain her laughter, then.

"And I love them back. But what's that got to do with anything?"

"Well, Laxus doesn't have any of those people. He's got Freed and Bickslow and Evergreen, but sometimes they act more like servants than friends. He's only got Master."

"So?"

"Well maybe he doesn't know how show people that he loves them. Maybe he's even dumber than you are."

"Hey! You just said you loved me and now you're calling me stupid!" She huffed, yanking his tail and ignoring the subsequent yelp.

"I'm just saying that Laxus was never close to people, even before I hatched, right? Maybe he doesn't know that you're supposed to fight _with_ the people you love, that you have to get stronger together so everyone can be happy!"

"But he fought with everyone in the Games. He won together with all of us. He took revenge for Lucy and helped us fight off the dragons. Not to mention Tenrou."

"As comrades. Maybe he doesn't realize that loving someone in the kissing way is the same. Maybe if you told him, he'd listen." Natsumi sighed heavily, letting Happy go and rolling to face the ceiling. She let what the cat had said sink in as she aimlessly traced the minute cracks in the ceiling. She was so tired of thinking.

"I don't know, Happy. My head hurts and I'm tired." This time, it was her friend's turn to sigh, knowing no additional progress was going to be made that night.

"Just keep thinking about it, alright? I don't think Laxus ever meant to make you sad." Natsumi offered him a halfhearted smile in the darkness, knowing the Exceed would be able to see it.

"I know, buddy. I will. But now it's bedtime," she said, noticing another yawn from the cat.

"Goodnight, Natsumi."

"Night." As the Exceed's breathing evened out a few minutes later, she repeated his words once more. _Maybe he's even dumber than you are. Maybe he doesn't know how to show people he loves them._ Hours later, her last thoughts were of how her life had suddenly become so much more complicated, and how a talking blue cat had suddenly become so wise.

The next morning, Natsumi woke before Happy and Lucy. Stealthily sliding from the hammock to prevent jostling the cat, she tiptoed across the apartment to the bathroom, change of clothes in hand, eyes glued to Lucy's door for signs of movement. Though she normally didn't care about how much noise she made or who she woke up in the morning—or any time, really— she wanted time to herself. It'd been so long since she sought time completely alone, without even Happy's company, but she found herself relishing it just this once. Opening the door to the bathroom slowly, wincing as the hinges creaked, she slipped inside, quickly stripping and hopping into the shower.

Though she heeded Happy's advice, after twenty minutes and exhausting all shower-related activities, her thoughts were just as jumbled as they had been before falling asleep the night before. As she messily combed her fingers through her long hair, she had to admit the truth of both Lucy and Happy's words, at least in part.

Since the infirmary, she'd been trying so hard to not let her thoughts go to the lightning mage. Despite his constant presence in her thoughts over the time she'd been in Hargeon, she'd managed to harness them so she couldn't think about 'what if's. It'd been too scary, too painful, too new. But now, as she stared at herself in the mirror, bare and utterly alone for the first time in recent memory, she couldn't bring herself to stamp out the rogue thoughts.

She couldn't deny it anymore. She did care about Laxus's opinion more than most peoples'. Probably more than anyone since Igneel left. His refusal to fight her bothered her more than it would coming from someone else, because for as long as she could remember, all she'd ever wanted other than to find her father was for Laxus to look at her in admiration. Her stomach twisted. Leaning against the half foggy mirror, she wrapped her arms around herself. It hurt and nothing made it better. It washed over her like a wave, threatening to knock her off her feet.

She'd been stupid and immature, but she knew she was right. No matter how much Lucy's words made sense, no matter how much she wanted to see Laxus smile and laugh again, no matter how she much admired his power and skill and beauty, it didn't change anything. She blinked back tears, still too sick of them to let them fall. It hurt even more, she decided, knowing that she cared about him, respected him, loved him, but couldn't accept him.

She tried to steady her breathing, having long since given up on her pink tangles in favor of slipping on her clothes, taking the extra care with her chest bindings and the ties on the bottom of her pants. The whole situation was more painful than she'd ever anticipated, or hadn't ever dared anticipate. She cared about Laxus and that made it so much worse, knowing that he cared about her, too— _loved her, even_ —but that it wasn't enough. She knew that she couldn't compromise on what she wanted or deserved, but that seemed like such a hollow consolation. She wouldn't be happy with someone that wouldn't take her seriously, but she wasn't happy now, either. To the contrary, she was miserable, especially now that she'd finally let herself think about what she wanted from Laxus if he understood her.

Natsumi sighed. Igneel always taught her that it wasn't good to dwell on things you couldn't change. He'd said to always fight for things you believed in until your last breath, but to not go chasing lost causes. Up until now, she'd lived by that advice every day of her life, but now that the floodgates were open, she couldn't stop herself from the strange feelings of grief welling up in her.

It felt like a loss. Losing out on the chance to be loved like she wanted stung, and soon she felt anger return to the pit of her stomach, anger at Laxus for not understanding how she felt.

"Curse that walking power outlet. This is his fault," she grumbled halfheartedly, walking out of the bathroom and out of the apartment, not feeling up to saying goodbye. Remembering the words of her father, she swallowed down the sadness and did her best to let it go. It failed, but she felt steadier, like she could perhaps fix the cracks in herself that she'd just noticed were there all along. For now, she'd try to put it out of her mind.

Taking a deep breath and putting on her bravest face, she marched down the street with renewed purpose. She had an appointment at the guild with a disgustingly large stack of pancakes, and she'd be damned if she let her stupid feelings or a stupid fake lightning dragon slayer get in the way of her appetite.

* * *

 **Note:** Raise your hand if you want something to happen. I promise I'm not dragging my ass on purpose. Fun fact, the last third of this chapter was actually the first part I ever wrote of this story. I started with this and wrote forwards, and then went back to connect all the dots. So what you've seen up until now, I'd consider my weakest writing, since I was already about 70% into the story at that point. From here on out, you'll get the brunt of it. I'm so excited to share Act II of the story with you!

 **Next Chapter Preview:** (Title omitted for spoiler reasons)

 _"Hey, Charcoal Brain, you're dunking your hair in your syrup. Some of us would like to keep our own breakfast down." Gray said as he came up to the bar, waving at Mirajane._

 _Natsumi gave him a deadpan glare, looking him straight in the eyes as she stuffed another huge, dripping forkful into her mouth, cheeks filled to capacity._

 _Gray shuddered, glaring back. "You're fucking disgusting, you know that, right?"_


	8. Showdown

**Edit (12/2015):** Some parts of this were weirdly worded and disjointed, so I've proofread and edited!

 **AN:** Thank you so so much to everyone that's reviewed, subscribed, and favorited since the last chapter! I'm continually surprised, elated, and humbled at the attention this story's getting. It means so much that people are even reading it in the first place, much less enjoying it.

I hope you keep enjoying it!

* * *

 **Showdown aka the Most Embarrassing Thing Ever**

Luckily Mira hadn't asked any questions when Natsumi came ambling into the guild with a dower look on her face and dark circles under her eyes, but something told Natsumi that she didn't need to ask. She probably knew everything, anyway, especially with the way she'd been acting recently. Not like it mattered, the dragon slayer thought. The whole guild could go mind their own damn business, for all she cared. She was done talking about it with everyone. She wouldn't, however, refuse the extra two pancakes Mira had added to the already intimidating pile. The pink-haired girl poured an equally large amount of syrup over the pile and voraciously dug in, feeling more like herself with every savage bite she took.

"Hey, Charcoal Brain, you're dunking your hair in your syrup. Some of us would like to keep our own breakfast down." Gray said as he came up to the bar, waving at Mirajane. Natsumi gave him a sharp glare, looking him straight in the eyes as she stuffed another huge, dripping forkful into her mouth, cheeks filled to capacity. Gray shuddered, glaring back. "You're fucking disgusting, you know that, right?" When he received no response other than a vague, pancake-filled hum, he rolled his eyes. "Okay, whatever. Listen, I just came to warn you. Juvia just came back from a job. Said she'd run into Freed on the way to the train station. Apparently they're due back today, so if you're looking to make yourself scarce, I'd suggest you take a job pronto," he gave her a meaningful look, taking in her wet hair and crumb covered face. "Though I guess covering yourself in syrup also works as a pretty good deterrent."

Natsumi's eyes widened. She hadn't expected the Thunder Legion to be back so soon. Rearranging her face into another annoyed glower, she swallowed her current bite. "Why should I care?"

Grey scoffed, "Oh, so we're playing this game now? Alright. Whatever. I was just trying to help."

Immediately feeling like a heel, Natsumi relaxed her expression a bit. "Dude, sorry. Thanks, but I'm good. Plus, I haven't finishing demolishing these yet," she said, gesturing to her food. "It's not a big deal, trust me."

He didn't look convinced, but seemed to accept her response this time. "Yeah, well, don't say I didn't warn you," he said, walking away, nudging her shoulder gently as he passed.

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled to herself, shoveling in another bite, "Bastard's lucky I didn't punch him for cracks like that."

"He's only trying to look out for you," Mira chimed in, hands busily wiping down the bar top in preparation for the morning rush, "We were all concerned for you after the tongue-lashing you gave Laxus, and even more so after you came back and started acting like nothing happened."

"So everyone's still hung up on that? Figures."

"It was kind of hard to forget you screaming your head off. Plus, Lucy came by before the Thunder Legion left and gave him a talk of her own, but you didn't hear that from me."

"Ughhhhhh," the pink-haired girl groaned as she leaned her head back, palms flat against the bar. While she wasn't surprised, she had hoped that not _everyone_ would know about what had happened. "I just want to stop talking about it!" she whined to the barmaid, scrunching up her face in distaste.

"I don't think it's as easy as that, I'm afraid," Mira said in a gentle tone. "These things have a way of cropping back up until they're resolved."

"But I _did_ resolve it. What's done is done and everyone just needs to _leave me alone_!" She was trying so hard, and it didn't seem like anyone was cutting her any slack these days.

Mira stopped in her ministrations, turning to face Natsumi fully with a small smile on her face. "You should know better than anyone that Fairy Tail doesn't know the meaning of minding their own business. Plus, it's pretty obvious that you aren't fooling anyone," she finished with a giggle.

Before Natsumi could give a reply to that, a shrill cry of " _Natsumi_!" echoed through the guild hall. Turning toward the doors, Natsumi saw Happy swoop in, Lucy close behind. The Exceed came to a stop on a barstool next to the dragon slayer, looking up at her with eyes full of huge crocodile tears.

"Natsumi left us! That was so mean!"

"I'm sorry, Happy. I was just hungry and didn't want to wake you up after such a late night," She smiled down at him. "I'll make it up to you late, I promise."

"Does that promise involve fish?" he asked in a small voice.

"It does if you want it to," she laughed.

The tears abruptly stopped, the feline's expression suddenly clearing into a sunny grin. "Yay! Lucy, Natsumi promised me fish!"

Lucy, who'd been leaning against the bar next to the cat, rolled her eyes, "So I've heard." The celestial mage offered Natsumi a tentative smile. Natsumi smiled back to let her know that all was forgiven for their fight the night before.

Reassured, the blonde took in her friend for the first time that day. "I know I've called you a messy eater sometimes, but this is honestly ridiculous. Your hair isn't even dry from showering and you already need another one!"

"Hey! I'm just enjoying my food!" Natsumi groused.

"By wearing it?" Lucy asked with a raised eyebrow.

Natsumi stuck her tongue out, "I can do what I want, _mom_ ," she said as she wolfed down the last of the plate's contents.

"Ugh, fine," Lucy conceded, "Though this is due to special circumstances. Any other time and I'd take you out back to hose you down."

"Now _that_ is something that I'd pay to see."

"Oh, fuck off, Bickslow!" Natsumi shouted over her shoulder, "You're such a perv—wait." she stopped, her eyes widening. "Bickslow….is back. Which means…" she trailed off, shooting Lucy a worried look before turning to face the newcomers in the guild. Bickslow had taken point, strolling through the guild's open doors with his trademark shit-eating grin plastered on his face, completely unphased by Natsumi's yelling. Behind him walked Freed and Evergreen, who looked pleasant, albeit a bit tired, with Evergreen failing to shoot Mira a question about the whereabouts of her incompetent brother. As they advanced to their normal table near the back of the guild hall, Natsumi felt herself tensing, in anticipation or dread, she didn't know, of the next person to walk through the door. As the seconds passed and no one appeared, she heaved a sigh of relief.

Lucy was puzzled as well. "That's….strange. I haven't seen Laxus without at least one of them since we got back from the Games."

"I bet he's scaaaaaaaaared," Happy sing-songed with a sly look. "He's probably afraid Natsumi's gonna finish what she started."

"Shut up, cat!" Lucy said in warning, noticing Natsumi's uncomfortable expression. "I'm sure it's nothing," she reassured her friend with a smile. "He's probably just out running errands or catching up on sleep or something."

Natsumi forced a smile. "Yeah, probably."

"Or he's crying because he looooooves you."

"I'm serious, Happy, cut it out!" Lucy yelled.

The cat sniffed, "But it's true! He loves her and Natsumi loves him!"

"HAPPY!" Natsumi bellowed. "Stop it, okay?! You're not helping!" She hopped off the barstool and turned, taking in the small crowd that had trickled in since Lucy and Happy's arrival. "And that goes for all of you, too! I'm done talking about it, so stay out of my business! There's nothing _to_ talk about and I've had it with you all trying to tell me what to think. I'm done with this!" She didn't turn around to see the teary expression that was probably on Happy's face, knowing that it would stop her from what she was going to say next.

"And the next person to ask me to talk about it will meet the business end of my foot, no matter who you are!" she ignited her fists for good measure, scowling at her audience, whose expressions ranged from chastised to amused.

"Is that a promise?"

 _Fuck._ She thought as the voice of the very last person she wanted to see wafted placidly through the open doors of the building.

The person who the voice belonged to strode into the guild, looking disturbingly normal to Natsumi's eyes. He stared her down with all of his trademark arrogance, his long, fur-trimmed coat moving billowing behind him. Natsumi stood frozen in place, onyx eyes wide, some part of her mind cursing her for not doing _something_ , whether that be mouthing off or running or punching that fucker in his stupid smirking face. It was almost a comfort when seeds of her righteous anger returned. At least that she'd dealt with that before. She had no idea what she would do if she found herself overcome with the despair she'd felt that morning, so she clung to her frustration, turning her shocked expression into a glare.

He advanced, sauntering until there was a matter of a few yards between himself and Natsumi. Coming to a stop, he raised an eyebrow expectantly. When the pink-haired girl didn't react, he chuckled, smirking face morphing into a giant grin. "Well?" he asked, crossing his arms. The room was tomb-silent as everyone looked on warily.

"Well, what?" Natsumi responded, trying to work through her shell-shocked mind, trying to make sense between his sudden appearance and the words he was speaking now.

His grin gave way to an annoyed expression at the confused girl in front of him. "You said you'd hit the next person who said anything about it, no matter who it was. Was that a promise?"

Oh. So that's what he was getting at. What an asshole.

She glowered at him, confusion gone. "Yes, it was a promise. People need to mind their own business."

His eyebrow raised once more. "What if it's their business as well?"

Now he was just pissing her off.

"It's not. If I don't want to talk about something, then I ain't gotta. Got it?"

"Oh, grow up," he quipped, glaring back at her, "Maybe people wouldn't be on your case if you didn't go around screaming at the top of your lungs."

Her hands began to shake. How _dare_ he blame her for this. "Oh, yeah? Well maybe if you weren't such a bastard, then none of this would have ever happened!"

"If you weren't such a pest, then I wouldn't have to be such a bastard! You should have just left me alone!"

"That doesn't give you the right to treat your comrades like burdens, you asshole!" Natsumi screamed, her flushed in anger, growing more livid with each word that came out of his mouth.

"It does if they're _weak_." He said, deadly calm, eyes coldly staring into the eyes of the girl standing across from him.

Several people gasped at his words, not expecting the words from Laxus, who hadn't uttered anything of the sort since the days of his excommunication.

"Don't talk to Natsumi like that, Laxus!" Happy yelled from the bar, wings flapping in anger.

"Shut the fuck up before I do it for you." Laxus threatened, turning his cutting gaze squarely on the Exceed. Tears in his eyes, Happy shrank back into Lucy, scared and angry. Lucy glared over to the blonde dragon slayer, not cowed by the power of his threat. "That goes for the rest of you, too. Anybody that tries to interfere is going to get fried, got it?"

Natsumi was nearly blind with rage, the picture of Laxus swimming before her through a sheen of unshed tears. Taking a breath to ensure she wouldn't throw sparks with her next words, she spoke.

"Fuck you, Laxus. You haven't changed at all. We're supposed to be family here, but you don't even know what that means. Any other day before now, I'd melt that stupid expression right off your face, but that's what you want, isn't it? But I'm going to do it." She spit, her voice low. The guild exploded into shocked whispers, flabbergasted that Natsumi of all people would ever walk away from a fight. She knew better. She'd let him goad her into a fight once, and she didn't recognize the person she became when she let her rage win. The guilt at seeing him crumple underneath her blows had made her nearly sick, and she refused to put herself through that again, no matter how angry he made her.

The sharp, cutting sound of Laxus's laughter echoed off the walls of the guild, startling everyone out of their conversations.

"I don't think so, Salamander. I'm pretty sure you are." He laughed, one hand coming up to run through golden hair.

"No, I'm not!" she yelled back, stomping past him as she headed to the doors. She'd get Lucy to grab a long, long job and then get the fuck out of Magnolia. That'd show that pretentious freak. He didn't move to stop her on her way out, but as she moved to pass through the doorway, a wall of purple runes materialized and blocked her, pushing her backwards as she made contact. She howled with rage, the familiar feeling resurfacing from the depths from which she'd manage to push it all those days ago.

"Thanks, Freed," Laxus called, and goddamn it she could _hear_ the arrogant grin on that bastard's face. She didn't turn around to face him, however, opting to stare trembling at the swirling runes in front of her.

"So it looks like you'll be fighting after all. Freed won't let anyone in or out of the barriers until one of us concedes defeat, is knocked unconscious, or dies. And unless I've heard wrong, Levy's out on a job for the rest of the week, so I doubt you'll be getting any help on that front. Sorry." He laughed again, a short thing, full of triumph.

"Then I forfeit!" Natsumi yelled at the cage, still shaking, her palms growing warm.

"Does that sounds like an honest concession, Freed? Are you moved to dispel the barrier?" Laxus asked his team member casually, as if enquiring about the weather rather than a proposed cage match with a guild mate.

"I'm afraid I'm not, sir," Freed's voice answered from the back of the guild.

Laxus clicked his tongue, the sound grating in Natsumi's ears. "So there you have it, Short Stack. Freed's under my orders not to dispel the cage until an actual fight happens. I trust his judgment about legitimacy, so don't get any ideas about half-assing this thing."

Natsumi could barely control her breathing. How dare he? How dare he not respect her enough to make her own choices, to decide what was best for herself. How dare he call her weak and threaten her friends and undermine their bonds as comrades. How _dare_ he have claimed to love her.

"I'm going to make you regret this, Laxus. I'm glad you've already know where the infirmary is." She hissed, steam rolling out through her nose and mouth as she turned to face him, eyes narrowed to slits.

"That's my girl." He smiled as he slid his coat from his shoulders and tossed it away, exposing the heavily muscled arms that lay beneath.

"I'll never be yours or anyone else's!" She screamed, her control lost as she rocketed towards him, fists blazing.

He easily pivoted, knocking her in the back with an elbow and sending her flying towards the far edge of the cage near the back of the guild. Flipping in mid-air, she pushed off the edge of the barrier and sprang right back with an answering wing attack, which Laxus dissipated in a shower of sparks. In the brightness of the explosion, Natsumi landed a solid kick to the side of his head, snapping it to one side.

"Yeah! Kick his ass, Nat!" Lucy screamed from the sidelines, with Happy following up with an enthusiastic "Aye, sir!"

Their cheers seemed to break the seal of silence that had fallen over the guild, and the audience erupted in an explosion of raucous shouts of encouragement to Natsumi. She could hear Gray shouting out insults to Laxus over the noise, which led to a serious of boos at the mention of the lightning dragon slayer's name.

"Are you happy now?!" She yelled as she attacked again, covering the makeshift arena in roiling flames.

He didn't answer, only let out an answering blast of lighting, which pushed them both back against the edge of the cage.

"Is this what you wanted?! You aren't even taking this seriously!" She screamed as she rushed him again, nearly purple in the face as he dodged a serious of her flaming kicks. "Even after all this bullshit, you still won't actually fight me!"

She quickly jumped to dodge a bolt, the attack detonating where she had been standing a fraction of a second before.

"You're just playing with me! You don't actually care about doing this to prove anything. You don't respect me as an opponent—" she shouted as she closed quarters, engaging him one on one. "You don't respect me as a mage or as a guild mate!" She got him in the sternum, and found the rasping sound he made as he stumbled back almost made her smile…until he came back and caught her the stomach with a strike of his own, knocking her prone several feet away. Springing to her feet again, she responded with a sword horn attack, still raging at him. "You don't think I'm worthy of ever being your equal, much less your better! You never thought I was strong enough. You think I'm weak and need to be taken care of. And I'm going to kill you for it!" she roared, the inferno engulfing him.

"You don't love me! You don't know me! If you did you'd know that I wanted to fight you to get stronger! I wanted to get stronger together because that's what caring about each other is about! You don't hold back the person you love from growing just because you're afraid that they'll get hurt! How dare you take that away from me, you bastard!" she cried, her fire dissipating. Her vision started growing blurry again, from a mixture of anger and frustration. "How dare you try to put me on a shelf so you could feel better about yourself and play out your hero shtick. I can't forgive you for that!"

"I didn't refuse to fight you all this time because I wanted to hold you back!" he yelled, speaking for the first time since they began. "I didn't want to fight you because I didn't want to hurt you, you colossal idiot! God damn it!" He glared at her as lightning began to dance along the lines of his body, making him look like some kind of avenging angel.

"I don't know where you got that stupid idea into your head! Of course I respect you! You're one of the best mages here!"

She laughed, a sobbing, borderline hysterical burst of sound. "Then why won't you fight me seriously?!"

"Because why would I ever fucking raise my hand to the girl I love again?! Do you think it's easy to live with myself after what I did to everyone? What I did to you? I put you in the fucking hospital! And then I left, and by the time I saw you again we were going to get incinerated by a fucking dragon and my last thought would have been how much I regretted ever hurting you. Of course I want you to get stronger and I want you to surpass everyone here, even me, but why would I ever want to fight you seriously when I already have and it fucking _destroyed_ me?"

The words he was saying weren't making any sense to her. The sentences he was stringing together didn't compute in her brain.

"How am I going to get stronger if I don't fight the strongest people I know?" she asked, her confusion startling her out of her righteous anger.

"Hell if I know, Natsumi. You fucking blindside Gildarts every time he's in town. Erza's no slouch. Gramps is a goddamn Wizard Saint for fuck's sake! Have Gray and Wendy and Mira tag team you for all I care! Fuckin' take down every person in the goddamn world and I'd be happy to watch you. But please, don't ask me to hurt you. I'm not going lie and say I always thought you were strong, but that's been years, Nat. I don't refuse to fight you because I don't think you're worthy. I just…don't want to use my hands to hurt you anymore, and I don't want to be a tool in some quest to inflict pain on yourself."

The air in the room seemed to have burned up with the flames she wielded. Natsumi didn't think she could physically inflate her lungs anymore. She could barely see though the haze of dust and smoke in the arena, which irritated her already watering eyes. All of the grief she'd feared earlier came rushing back to the surface at his words. Her legs felt shaky, as if she'd run much further than the short battle had allowed for. Managing to make her voice work, she asked him in a wavering voice.

"Then why this?" she whispered, halfway expecting him not to hear her, even though the cheers had long since fallen into hushed silence. "Why would you come here and say those things? How could you?"

He pushed his hand through his hair, taking in a large breath. "'Cause I'm a fucking idiot, that's why. I thought this was the only way to give you what you wanted, even if it was going fuck me up again, emotionally or otherwise. I figured you'd jump at the chance. When you didn't, I guess I kept trying to goad you. Look, it was a stupid fucking plan, alright? If you want to keep at it, I won't stop you, but I said what I wanted to say." He finished, slouching slightly in defeat.

"You tried to manipulate me," she said, walking toward him slowly. He didn't look at her, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the ground in front of her feet.

"Yeah, Nat, I guess I did. I didn't mean for it to go so far, but it did. And I'm sorry, but I guess I can't really take it back now," his voice was gruff.

She walked closer, coming a stop directly in front of him, her face nearly pressing against his chest. Looking up at him, he averted his gaze again. Frustrated, she hooked a leg behind him, buckling his knees and sending him kneeling the ground before her. She took a step back from him.

"Look at me," she ordered in a flat voice.

When he didn't, she grabbed his face in both her hands and made him.

"Guild mates don't ever treat each other the way you treated everyone today. Treated me. Family doesn't shout and threaten the way you threatened Happy. They don't put on elaborate productions because they're scared." He tried averting his eyes again, but she held him steady, making him keep her gaze as she looked down at him. She continued, even as her voice began to waver in its steadiness, growing watery. "They don't manipulate the people they love to prove a point. And after today, you have to make amends with everyone here, because you've disappointed a lot of people. Disappointed me."

She let go of his face then, dropping her hands to her sides and looking at him with an unreadable expression.

There as a pregnant silence where nothing but the steady breathing of the surrounding people could be heard through the floating runes they observed the standoff.

Holding Natsumi's gaze, Laxus whispered in a voice only she could hear.

"I'm so fucking sorry, Nat. For everything. And I love you, even if you probably don't want to hear that."

Her eyes misted over as he looked at her, her face growing red and her hands shaking. He hung his head then, knowing that he'd managed to seal the final nail in the coffin that was the absolute train wreck of his interaction with Natsumi, only to be nearly knocked backward when she fell to her knees and embraced him, burying her head in his chest. Too stunned to move for several moments, the sounds of her stifled crying jolted him to action. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, pulling her closer to him as they kneeled on the floor together.

He held her for a long moment, before looking up at the walls of the barrier around him, and the people beyond them. He nodded toward Freed, and the mage touched the end of his rapier to one of the walls, which immediately began to dissipate. Uncertain murmurs began to run through the crowd.

"Well guys," he began in a voice that silenced the impending noise, "I know I fucked up bad and you guys are probably going lynch me later and that's fine, 'cause I deserve it. But right now I've got bigger things to worry about, so you're going have to manage until I get back," he finished, scooping up Natsumi and rising to his feet. Giving another nod to the Thunder Legion, he quickly strode out of the guild, leaving the baffled crowd in his wake.

Several seconds after their departure, with silence still dominating, Gray cleared his throat.

"Okay, did what I think just happen, happen? And also: what the fuck."

With that, the guild exploded into a flurry of activity as all witnesses attempted to rush the Thunder Legion at once, shouting questions all the while.

"Why did you guys agree to do that?"

"Is Natsumi actually going give Laxus the time of day after that stunt?"

"What did he say to her to make her cry like that?"

"Did you see Natsumi? She was so _manly_! It was awesome!"

As the Thunder Legion attempted to do as much damage control as possible, Gray made his way to the bar, where Lucy was still standing, holding an exhausted Happy. She shot him a smile as he approached.

"I reiterate: what the fuck," Gray said, taking a seat at the bar and divesting himself of his shirt before he slumped against the bar top.

Lucy giggled nervously, "I'm pretty sure that was the most dramatic confession Fairy Tail has ever seen."

"Yeah," he agreed, "But also probably the shittiest one. He's going to be still crossing people off his apology list when he's 40. If I were Nat, I'd have castrated the dude if I had him on his knees in front of me."

The blonde sighed, "Normally I'd say you were being too harsh, but honestly I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the same. That was way too close to the Harvest Festival for comfort."

"I thought Natsumi was really going get hurt!" Happy whined.

"I think we all did, buddy," Gray told the cat, his head resting on one hand. "It's going to really take something special for him to ingratiate himself to everyone again. Especially since he's kind of a douche to start with," he clicked his tongue in distaste. "That lip he was giving everyone didn't help, either."

"I'm sure Nat will come up with something suitable as punishment, assuming she doesn't decide to kill him once she calms down," Lucy said, confident in her friend's abilities to at least inflict physical pain.

"I actually doubt it," Gray said, dropping his arm back to the counter. "We all know Natsumi. She's not the brightest crayon in the box on the best of days. Combine that with how easily distracted she is, I doubt anything significant will happen, especially since she actually cares about that asshole. There's really only one thing left to do."

Happy and Lucy looked at each other, then at Gray, offering a unison "What's that?"

He chuckled, standing up to head out of the guild. Lucy barely caught his comment as he waved behind him without looking back—and without collecting his discarded shirt.

"Never let them live down that fucking ridiculous production."

* * *

 **Note:** So that's it! Act I, folks! Those two really can't do things quietly, can they? Nope, they have to declare themselves in a really embarrassing public manner (and I don't think anyone is going to be quick to forget it). And can I just say how much I love Gray? I always have so much fun writing his dialogue.

And, I think we can all agree that the story's impending departure from 5k+ introspective chapters is a good thing. They were fun and necessary, but I'm ready to move on to more dynamic matters as far as the plot's concerned.

 **Next Chapter Preview:** Fairy Tail's Guide to Relationships (for Dummies)

 _She looked over at him then, his hair and skin glowing golden in the noonday sun, the scar marring his right eyebrow. Then, without warning, she burst out, "Why do you love me?"_


	9. Fairy Tail's Guide to Relationships

**AN:** Bah! This is so exciting. I can't wait for you guys to see how the story unfolds from here. It really was a joy to write. As always, thank you for your kind words and your continued (or new!) attention. You guys rock.

Last time, shit hit the fan in an entirely new way. This chapter, we get to see the aftermath of it, for good or ill.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Fairy Tail's Guide to Relationships for Dummies**

Natsumi had stopped crying shortly after Laxus had carried her out of the guild, feeling too awkward to ask to be put down. Plus, she had no idea where he was taking her. Peeking out from where she had stayed buried in Laxus's shirt, she noticed they were heading toward the tree line of the forest.

She sighed, "Hey, you can set me down now." Her head was a jumbled mess from what had happened at the guild, but for the first time in weeks, she felt neither anger nor sadness, so she counted that as a good thing. She wasn't sure what was going to happen now, but she felt like everything had changed. They'd misunderstood each other the whole time, and she'd felt way too shocked to think about what that meant other than a sense of relief so overwhelming that she'd fallen apart, sobbing into his arms. She hadn't given it any additional thought; she'd only collapsed against him, wanting comfort from the only person who could give it to her. He'd freely given it, too, she thought with a sense of detached wonderment.

"You sure you're not going to bolt the second I put you down?" He shocked her back to Earth with his question, though he didn't look at her when he asked.

"I promise. Just put me down. I can walk on my own."

She was a little surprised that he did what she asked with no further protests, though to be fair, he knew he was on thin ice at best, so maybe it wasn't so surprising after all.

"Where are we going?" she asked, falling into step beside him as they walked beyond the forest boundary and started on a path.

Laxus had shoved his hands into his pockets, and she noticed that he hadn't bothered to pick up his coat when they left. He looked almost bare without it, since he never seemed to take it off in public except to fight. She figured Freed or Evergreen would probably have taken care of it, though.

"I thought we'd go to the bluffs. Figured it'd be quiet enough to sort through this bullshit without interruptions."

She nodded, stretching her arms above her head and resting them on the back of her neck, massaging the sore muscles there.

Noticing her actions, his expression darkened further. "Are you okay?"

Natsumi scoffed, "I've faced Hades and managed okay. No offense, but I'm pretty sure I'd have to give up my guild mark if I was hurt after that pathetic excuse for a fight." It felt comforting to slip back into banter. Easy. She was surprised once more to realize that it didn't feel like the act she'd put on the past few days, either. It felt nice to just be plain, uncomplicated Natsumi again, even if she was still confused about what was happening.

"Excuse me for caring, Short Stack. And plus, it didn't seem pathetic when you were shaking and everything."

"Don't call me that! I'm taller than Levy, so you don't get to do that. Plus, stop stealing Gajeel's nicknames. At least be creative."

He huffed, but didn't comment any further.

"Plus," she continued, "I was mostly angry. I wasn't legitimately fired up like I get in actual battles or sparring matches. I don't fight well when I get upset and it's not _for_ anyone, you know? I was fighting for myself, and so I was sloppy." And sad. And guilty. And hurt. But she didn't tell him that. It's not like it mattered now, since he'd finally told her the truth behind everything he'd done.

He raised his eyebrows a fraction, looking over at her as they made their way up the gradually increasing incline of the path. "I thought sloppy was your style."

"Unpredictable is my style, asshole."

They managed to keep up the banter most of the way up to the bluffs, only falling silent as the path narrowed to only accommodate one person. For more reasons than one, Natsumi felt the playful attitude drop as their elevation increased. Despite this, when the path opened up onto the bluffs, Natsumi was once again struck by the beauty that was the view, no matter how often she had seen it throughout her childhood. Before her lay the entirety of Magnolia, surrounded by the forests and the Hakabe mountain range in the distance. She wasn't often one to appreciate pretty things, but Natsumi had always loved the beauty of nature in a way that wasn't totally due to being raised by Igneel in the wilderness.

The sound of Laxus moving past her snapped her away from the view. He made his way further down, carefully moving along the craggy edges of the cliff face to get to the best spot: a flat outcropping that jutting out slightly from the rest. She was struck by the grace with which he moved in a way that she had hardly bothered to notice before. Someone of his size and breadth wouldn't be expected to be at all elegant in movement, especially outside of a fight, but somehow he managed to pull it off. Shaking her head, she followed him down, coming to sit down beside him on the ledge, hanging her feet off the side.

"You're going to fall if you keep doing that, you know," he quipped as she scooted closer the edge.

"No, I'm not. I've been doing this since I first came here as a kid. It's not like it's a sheer drop anyway. It can't be more than twenty or so feet to the trees, and I've fallen from much higher before. I'm pretty durable," she argued.

"Tch, whatever," he replied, sounding grumpy.

She glared at him, annoyed. "It's not like we came here to talk about how far I can fall without breaking my neck, anyway."

He grunted in agreement.

She just stared at him, waiting for him to say something. After several long moments, he tore his gaze from the view and glanced at her before looking back away.

"I remember when I first came here," he began, "I was ten or eleven, probably, and Gramps took me up here. The old man was braver than I was, jumping from rock to rock, not a care in the world, telling me I better keep up or he'd throw me over. I knew he was kidding, but I still followed him 'cause I didn't want to lose to the old bastard," he smiled at the memory. "Ever since then, I'd come up here on my own, just to get away. First it was from my dad, and then it was from everyone at the guild."

"Erza told me where this was, almost right after I joined," Natsumi offered, not sure why she was volunteering the information, but felt the need to anyway. "It was before I found Happy's egg, and I hadn't made many friends yet. I remember feeling like nothing would ever be alright again. I wasn't sure if Igneel was ever going to find me, since I hadn't found him. I'm not sure coming up here helped, but when I was actually by myself up here, it made me feel a little less lonely for some reason," she smiled, closing her eyes against the sun, already high in the sky despite being barely midday.

"Yeah," he said, "I guess I never really solved anything coming up here, but the noise in my head seemed a little less loud when it wasn't being pitted up against the noise around me."

She looked over at him then, his hair and skin glowing golden in the noonday sun, the scar marring his right eyebrow. Then, without warning, she burst out, "Why do you love me?" She immediately went red, wondering why she was born a person with the inability to _not_ say what they were thinking immediately upon thinking it.

He was visibly startled, jerking his head to lock eyes with her, taking in her rapidly coloring face. Clearing his throat, he brought a hand to scratch at the back of his neck, squinting back into the sunlight.

"Well it's certainly not looks. You do realize you have something literally sticking the ends of your hair together, right?" he mumbled.

She glared. "It's syrup. And before you came strutting into the guild, I was eating probably the best pancakes Mira's ever made. She even gave me two free ones because she felt sorry for me! Excuse me if I was excited about it," she pouted.

"Normal people don't use their breakfast toppings as shampoo, no matter how excited they are," he laughed.

She gaped at him, stunned. "It's just on the ends, moron! Don't exaggerate! And you never answered my question, since it's 'not my looks,'" she grumbled, offended.

"I mean, what do you want me to say? I just sort of do, alright? Look, I'm not exactly the best at explaining these sorts of things. I was hoping you'd understand since you're basically romantically disabled."

"I am not! Take that back!" She moved to hit him, but he intercepted the punch, sliding his hand from her hand to her wrist, keeping hold.

He gave her a skeptical look. "It's true. I mean, I wasn't even sure you even _liked_ me until Lucy told me right before I left—"

"She told you WHAT?! That balloon-chested sneak! I'll kill her! I didn't even know I liked you until a few days ago! Why would she do that?!"

He tugged on her wrist, stopping her rant. "That proves my point. You don't know how you feel before everyone else does, or if you do, you don't admit it. It's not like I'm being unfair when I say you're bad with stuff like this. It'd be funny if I hadn't spent the last few weeks being depressed about it."

"Yeah, okay, laugh it up. In return, I get to push you off the cliff," she groused. "When did this turn into Natsumi insult hour, anyway? First you call me ugly and then say I'm emotionally stupid. Are you going to insult my fashion sense next?"

"No," he said, shaking his head and dropping her hand. "You'd have to actually have a fashion sense for me to do that. You don't even wear a real shirt. I don't know how you don't get kicked out of public places for wearing essentially a bra everywhere."

"I'm definitely pushing you off now!" she yelled, leaning back so she could push him off the side with her feet. To his credit, he let her almost knock him off before righting himself, even if he was laughing the whole time.

"Whatever. I guess it doesn't matter. Though I guess I just have to believe that you do actually love me, since you basically confessed in front of most of the guild," she said slyly, and evil spark in her eye.

He groaned, falling onto his back with arm slung over his eyes to block out the sun. "Don't remind me. That was easily the most stupid, mushy shit I've ever done in my life. No one is ever going to let me live it down."

She laughed, "I hope someone caught it on recording lacrima."

He cursed at her, only making her laugh harder.

They lapsed into silence after that, and she went back to watching the view in front of her, enjoying the play of colors between the green of the trees and the whitewashed buildings of the town that had become her home. She leaned her head back, inhaling. She always liked the smell of trees. She loved the town, but she'd prefer the clean, fresh air of the forest any day.

Natsumi slowly opened her eyes, squinting into the sunlight. Looking over her left shoulder, she was startled to find Laxus watching her, eyes shielded in the shadow of his elbow. He blinked owlishly up at her.

"I think I love you because you're emotionally stupid."

Wow. What an asshole.

"I'm not really sure, but I don't think that counts as a reason?" she said slowly, not sure whether to be confused or offended, or both.

"It's totally true, now that I think about it," he went on, covering his eyes again, "For as loud and obnoxious and hyperactive as you are, you're not hard to understand, this whole situation excluded," he gave her an unimpressed look, to which she responded by sticking out her tongue.

"You don't read into things and you're straightforward, and you don't ever think things through before you do them. There's not any excess to you, really. It's just all out there, and you don't apologize for it, not that you seem to be aware of how you are anyway. Point is, that even though you aren't easygoing, it's easy to be around you. In a way that almost everyone I know isn't.

"So…I'm low maintenance?" she questioned, trying to figure out if that was a good thing. It certainly didn't sound very good from how he put it.

"Well yeah, but also weirdly peaceful. I don't just want to be around you because it's easy and don't have to put in a lot of effort, even though those things are true. You're kind of a…grounding presence, I guess. No matter what I did, you never took it personally. You just kept telling me how much I pushed you to get better," he laughed when she tried to push him again. "And when we were kids I really needed that, even if we didn't talk overly much. That spirit… how you did everything on your terms and felt everything so intensely. I wanted to protect you, and then as we both got older, I guess it sort of changed. At first I felt like a total creep when the age difference really started to matter. I stopped wanting to protect you so much as I just wanted… to be around you."

She felt her face heat up at his words, not expecting him to say something like that. "Heh," she giggled, "You're actually kind of a loser, right?"

It was his turn to push her, and she laughed as she flopped onto her side, uncaring of the awkward angle she fell in and opting to stay there, idly giggling.

"A loser with a pretty good view of your ass right now," he stated blandly from behind her.

She laughed harder. "I doubt it. I don't wear baggy pants for no reason, jackass. Plus, I thought you weren't interested in my looks. You just want me for my calming presence."

She heard him scoff over her shoulder. "I didn't say I wasn't interested, just that I didn't love you for them. The looks are a bonus. And don't act like you're surprised. You have to know the affect you have on people, syrupy hair notwithstanding—though that is really gross, by the way. You probably don't get kicked out of restaurants and shit because they're too busy staring at your tits to ban you."

"That's not true!" she argued, turning over on her other side and straightening out so that she lay next to him. He didn't seem to have moved since he pushed her, arms still over his eyes, looking for all the world like the picture of relaxation. Jerk.

"It totally is."

"You're acting like I walk around naked. My chest bindings cover everything! Plus it's not like there's much to cover in the first place," she gesture toward her small chest. "With that, my scarf, and my vest, I'm plenty covered! It's your fault for being a creepy perv," she stuck her tongue out at him, though the effect was lost since he still wasn't looking at her.

"Please, if you were more aware, you'd know that people definitely appreciate the view. I've even heard Fullbuster make a few cracks," he said, smirking.

"That's just 'cause Gray's a sarcastic bastard. He thinks it'll annoy me, even though I don't really understand it, besides the fact that he's the one saying it. Boobs are boobs are boobs, you know? There's not really anything to get worked up about," she shrugged.

"Do you actually believe that?" he asked.

"Believe what?"

"That all boobs are created equal, because they aren't, or that there isn't anything to get worked up about?"

"Uh, both, I guess? Does it matter? I guess I just never really got what the fuss was about people being naked. Maybe it's a 'raised by dragons' thing, but still."

He laughed, "No wonder you didn't freak out that time I accidentally walked in on you in the bath house that one time. Or that you didn't mind that Happy was there."

"You freaked out ten times more than I did," she laughed at the memory of a stammering Laxus. "Should I have freaked out?" She asked, puzzled.

He shrugged. "Most girls would, I guess. It's not better or worse. But it's pretty weird to know that you don't care about it, in any case. Not," he smiled, "that that doesn't have its benefits."

"Perv."

"Whatever. Point is, I'm a fan, Pinky. You're probably going to have to learn to deal with it, assuming you're not actually planning on murdering me here after all."

She sighed, "Some people are probably going to be disappointed that I'm not. You scared a lot of them today. I'm not sure what Gramps is going to say when he finds out."

"Yeah, I know. I did mean what I said when I told them that I'd deserve whatever they decided to do when I got back. But I wanted to make sure you were alright. In hindsight, I was being really embarrassing about the whole thing, but I'll take what I reap. I don't think I'll get thrown out again, but that doesn't mean I'm looking forward to whatever happens."

Natsumi winced, knowing it'd probably be pretty harsh. They'd destroyed a lot of tables and chairs, as well as a good bit of the floor in the fight, and he'd be responsible for that, too. Not that he didn't deserve it, but still.

"You're going to have to apologize personally to Lucy and Happy, though. Especially Happy," she said.

The blonde actually took his arm of his face in surprise to look up at her, cringing at the brightness. "Why do I have to apologize to a talking cat?"

"Because, stupid, you scared the daylights out of him when you threatened him. And he's my best friend and you were an asshole to him. Also, you owe him. He was actually pulling for you last night. Even tried to talk to me about your side of the story, which turned out to be right. It's only fair. If you want me to forgive you, you have to tell him you're sorry." There wasn't any compromise to be had in her voice. He would apologize.

Laxus heaved another sigh. His pride was already pretty wounded, and now he owed a favor to a cat, as well as an apology.

"Okay, fine. I'll apologize to the cat."

"His name is Happy."

"I'll apologize to Happy, happy?"

"Getting there," she said.

"Then what else do I have to do?" he grumbled, already hating the direction this was going. If she didn't know him, Natsumi would have bet money that Laxus would be actually pouting any second now.

She thought about it, rubbing her chin with one hand.

"Well," she began, "First you should say you're sorry to Happy, and Lucy, too. Then you should probably apologize to the guild for threatening them…and being really embarrassing," she laughed at the expression on his face, but he didn't argue. "And you should probably be my slave for at least a day, probably."

"What? Hell no, I'm not doing that. I'll do everything else, but I'm not being anyone's slave, even if I do love you." He shook his head adamantly, eyes closed.

She pouted. He was being stupid again.

"How are you supposed to make it up to me, then? You'll have apologized to everyone in the guild but me."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he turned to face her fully, a sour look on his face, "did you happen to miss the part where I was _on my fucking knees_ in the middle of the fucking guild like some kind of jackass?"

Her face heated at that. Thinking quickly, she argued. "You said you were sorry, but it was so quiet that even I barely heard you. How is anyone else going to know that you've apologized?"

Laxus gaped in exasperation. Was this girl for real? "I don't know, you _tell them_? Even if you didn't, I'm pretty they got the picture when you put me on my _knees_ in front of you and I actually let you live."

"But people like us prefer actions!" she yelled, smiling brightly at the man in front of her, who felt an increasing sense of foreboding. This fucking girl was going to ruin his reputation more than he'd already managed to ruin it himself.

"So," she continued on, oblivious to the wary look on his face, "it's better to show how sorry you are! And the others would probably forgive you a lot sooner if they saw you being nice to me!"

"You act like I wasn't planning on being nice to you," Laxus quipped.

"Well, you are kind of a dick."

"Whatever. I'm nice to you."

"But doing what I want for a week or two. I bet they'd forgive you after that!" she smiled.

"You're fucking crazy if you think I'd ever agree to a week," he glared.

Pouting, Natsumi scrunched up her face, looking at him in challenge.

"Six days."

"Half a day. A morning."

"That's not even worth it, you jackass! Five days, then."

"One day. And make it after noon."

"That's the same thing as half a day!"

"You're fucking lucky I'm even letting you have that!"

"Oh yeah? Well you're lucky I'm even letting you near me!" She glared at him.

"I'm pretty sure that's blackmail," he raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's blackmail?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion, made difficult in that she was already lying horizontally.

The blonde rolled his eyes, not sure why he was even surprised. "It doesn't even matter. Pretty sure relationships don't begin with forcing someone to wait on you hand and foot. One day and that's final"

Her eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion. "Watch it, buddy! Since when were we in a relationship?"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? Like, are you actually for real?" He propped himself up on an elbow to look down at her, his face scowling in disbelief. "'Cause I thought it was a pretty foregone conclusion when you basically collapsed on me in front of everyone."

She averted her eyes. "Well, I…I guess I didn't really think about it? I mean, I've never done this before. Hey, you know that I'm not good at this stuff! That's not fair to just assume things like that. I mean…I mean…" she floundered, unsure of how to articulate the jumbled feelings she'd been sorting through for the past few days, especially the flushed, borderline nausea-inducing lightheadedness she'd experienced as he'd looked her dead in the eye and told her he'd loved her. Heat bloomed in her face at the memory.

She heard a sigh above her, and she looked back up, her view unhindered as he blocked out the sun. Surprised at the patient look on his face, one that she couldn't remember often being there. She cocked her head in silent question.

"Look, Nat," he began, "I didn't mean to freak you out or anything, I guess I just didn't think. Like…shit. I guess you never really told me how you feel about the whole thing."

Her heart beat faster as he continued looking at her from his position, the same intense look he'd used not an hour earlier. She didn't doubt how he felt, but she wasn't sure what to make of the tingly, liquid feeling inside her brain, something she'd managed to avoid thinking about when they'd been squabbling. When she didn't say anything, he gave her a prompting look, still managing to retain the intensity of his stare.

"Well," she swallowed, looking away to gather what little thoughts she could manage on the subject, "I…don't really know how I feel? This is…really new for me. I felt some things before, but I don't know how to fit them all together, and I feel so weird now."

"Explain to me, then," he suggested, "And maybe I can help. If you don't actually like me, I won't lie to you or some shit like that, although it would suck ass if you didn't," he said, trailing off with a frown.

In a grumbling voice, she explained the flushed, stomach-less feeling she got when he looked at her. She knew that she probably liked him, but to what extent, she didn't know. She remembered feeling like she hadn't had the choice in the matter when she had fallen into him at the guild as he'd kneeled before her, how it felt as if she suddenly weighed three times her size, and her shaking limbs could no longer support her as the blood rushed through her head. It had felt comfortable to be pulled close to him, and he had smelled good, a heady mixture of sandalwood, soap, and some unidentifiable musky scent that clouded her nose and made her dizzier than she already was. She idly wondered why she was only belatedly recognizing these things, when at the time, she'd only been able to focus on how suddenly and uncharacteristically overcome with emotion she'd been. As she relayed this, she felt her face heat up, the image of him sitting golden in the sun flashing unbidden into her mind's eye. His face, initially guarded when he'd asked her to explain how she'd felt, grew gradually more smug until he was leaning back further on elbow with a huge grin plastered on his face.

"What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You're attracted to me, Pinky," he said, suddenly cheeky. "Like, a lot. I mean, a lot, a lot."

"What?" she spluttered, shocked and thrown that he seemed to be so confident about the strength of her feelings. "You don't know that!"

"Yeah, I do," he laughed. "You just said it all. That's what it feels like, at least for me. But even if you hadn't told me, I'd have known. It's all over your face," he smiled, then. It managed to make his face light up, stunning in the harsh light of day. She couldn't remember him every smiling so genuinely before, without any hints of mockery, but if the way her heart stuttered and then picked up double time, it was probably a good thing he didn't do it often.

He laughed again at her expression. "See? You get this dazed look on your face, and when you realize it, you get all red. It's cute."

She glared, looking at the rock slab she was lying on. "Yeah, sure. So I like you. Big deal."

"It's a start, at least. Though it's not surprising that you're attracted to me. A lot of people are."

"Shut up! Then it's not a big deal! And don't act like such an expert! It's freaking me out."

He chuckled again. "Alright. But it's not like I've ever loved anyone before, so it's sort of the same, even if it's not exactly. Though I'm pretty sure it'll end up being the same before long."

"Ughhhhhhh," Groaning, she turned over on her stomach, head resting on her folded arms, burying her face.

"What?" he asked, still laughing.

"My brain hurts. I need to fight something so my head can fix itself."

"There's nothing wrong with your head. Well, at least nothing more than the usual, probably."

"Whatever. You made me think about this so I'd forget that you owe me five days of slavitude."

"It's servitude, stupid. And I said one. Deal with it."

"Three."

"I said one and I meant one. I'm not bargaining with you anymore," he said, his voice taking on the commanding edge he used with his team members. Natsumi bristled, but took a breath. She wasn't letting him get away with only one day. Sure, she didn't really care about the scene at the guild. She didn't get embarrassed easily by showing off in public, but Laxus did, for some weird reason, and she wanted to see how much she could get away with. It wasn't every day Laxus Dreyar agreed to serve anyone.

He had said he felt like she did. So that meant that his brain got fuzzy and his blood pumped too quickly sometimes, too. It was worth a shot.

Rolling over toward him, she flipped onto her back, looking at him. She didn't really know what she was doing, but she remembered the look he gave her on his knees at the guild, and again as he looked down at her, illuminated by the sun behind him. Instead of getting lost in the memory, however, she tried to emulate how his gaze dropped, tried to look as if she was looking into him rather than at him. She opened her eyes, trailing them up from his knees to his hands in front of him, up his arms and to his face, looking him dead in the eye through half-lidded eyes. For a long second she just looked at him, then reached out to touch his nearest arm, touching her fingers gently to his hand and skimming over his skin to catch his wrist, like he'd done with her earlier. She heard him inhale a soft breath through his nose, imperceptible if she'd not been listening for any changes. Looking back up at him, she felt her own face heat up as she saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. Taking a lip between her lips to gather her thoughts, she caught his gaze again.

"Laxus," she said, fingers on his wrist beginning to move up and down in a gentle, soft motion.

"Yeah?" His voice half a hair lower than before.

"Will you do it for three days?" she asked him sweetly, blinking slowly as she scooted closer to his outstretched arm. He blankly stared down at the wiggling girl before him, wondering what the holy hell just happened to turn her stammering, naïve confusion into what basically amounted to blatant seduction. Did she even realize what she was doing? Probably not, but fuck. He was floored enough to barely process her question, and though he knew she was doing in on purpose, at least in some measure, it still made him weak enough to want to bend to her will, at least just a little. It was stupid and it was pathetic, to be turned on by a girl with syrup in her hair that barely touched your arm, but here he was, so he might as well just get on with this new level of hell he'd discovered.

"Two days. And fucking be grateful that I even bothered to consider more than one," he said with finality, breaking her loose grip on his wrist and taking in a deep breath.

She beamed up at him, eyes almost closing, and hell if that didn't feel like she'd run him through with one of her fists. He really was screwed.

* * *

 **Note:** I know what you're all thinking. It's a cliche! A tried and true snoozer. But give it a chance, it may surprise you. Honestly, I just want these two to begin moving in a more mature (as mature as these two can get, at least, which isn't honestly very much) direction, mostly because I think stories that stay on the same emotional wavelength for too long get boring after a while. Also, I had a clear direction I wanted this story to go, and Act II really focuses on that direction.

As always, I hope you enjoyed it. It was nice to see Laxus actually being 100% honest in a non-desperate sort of way, I thought. Maybe he's learning that using your words helps? Who knows.

If you feel the urge, I'd love to hear feedback! Those of you that have reviewed thus far have honestly made my day every time.

 **Next Chapter Preview:** While You Were Busy Canoodling, the Rest of the World was Wondering What the Fuck You Were Up TO

 _She stuck her tongue out at him, still in her doorway. "What did you want?" She cocked her head to one side._

 _"I'm not here to see you," he huffed out, eyes sliding past her. "I'm actually here for the cat."_


	10. While You Were Busy Canoodling

**AN:** I'm so glad you guys liked the change in the storyline! Part of me was worried about it, even if I was excited to get into the meat of things. As always, thank you so much for your incredibly kind, thoughtful, and funny reviews! They always put a giant smile on my face and I hope you know how much I appreciate each and every one of you.

Last chapter, we got to witness Laxus and Natsumi finally _talking_ to each other! I know, I'm still in shock. This chapter, we get to see what the rest of the world is up to, how they feel about it, and there just might be some fluff thrown in as well.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **While You Were Busy Canoodling, The Rest of the World was Wondering What the Fuck You Were Up To**

After that rather informative, on Laxus's part, and lucrative, on Natsumi's part, interlude, the pair lounged around at the bluffs for another few hours, talking about mostly unimportant things, like how far Natsumi could breathe fire in the air from underwater, or how Laxus was most definitely lying about how many monsters he took down on an infestation mission from a few months ago.

Laxus also learned that Natsumi could absolutely not skip meals. At the stroke of three, her stomach began growling, and didn't seem to know limits on time nor volume. Despite being obnoxious in of itself, Natsumi's increasingly whiny complaints about being hungry eventually led Laxus to stand up, pick up the younger girl by the arms, and set her on her feet. After marching her down the slope, he told her—more like ordered her—to go get something to eat, and that he'd see her tomorrow when they sorted things with the guild.

Then, he turned on his heel, walking away without a word, leaving her gaping behind him.

"Hey!" she called at his retreating back as he walked down the cobblestone roads on the outskirts of town. "Don't forget that tomorrow you start taking my orders. You promised!"

She got no response other than the sight of his shoulders slumping as he departed. Huffing, she figured it'd have to do for now, and made her way to her and Lucy's apartment. No doubt the girl would have stocked their fridge. She shuddered at the thought of the interrogation her friend was going to put her through when she got back.

She was right about the interrogation.

Lucy was waiting as Natsumi catapulted herself into the open window to her bedroom, and immediately sprang up from her position at her writing desk to grab hold of the sides of Natsumi's vest, pulling their heads close together.

"What happened?! You guys disappeared for so long! Where'd you go?!" the blonde girl throttled her friend, shaking the shorter one by her lapels.

"Oi, calm down, Luce! It's not a big deal! We went to the bluffs, is all," Natsumi explained, turning a bit green in the face from the motion. "Stop shaking me before I puke on you."

Lucy stopped abruptly, letting go of the pink-haired girl. Leaning back with her hands on her hips, Lucy stared the older girl down, a determined gleam in her eye.

"Spill. It." All the authority of the Heartfilia heiress she'd once been was captured in her voice as she uttered those two words.

Natsumi keened. "But Luce! I'm hungry! I can't explain on an empty stomach, you know!"

"Well you should've thought about that before you disappeared with Laxus for hours without telling anybody where you were going! Now tell me and I won't Lucy Kick you into next week!" the celestial mage yelled with fire in her eyes.

Natsumi shuffled to Lucy's bed, flopping face-first against it, groaning into the duvet. "Fiiiiine," she whined, "but why are you punishing me? You're the one who should be punished for telling Laxus that I liked him before I even knew it! Traitor!"

"I just want to make sure you gave that idiot due punishment. I'm not sure I trust you with it," Lucy explained, completely ignoring her friend's accusations as she came to sit on the bed beside the lump that was Natsumi.

Natsumi sprang up, pushing herself on her arms to look at her friend. "Of course I did! He was awful to everyone! You'll be proud of me, Luce," she smirked. "He's going to apologize to you and Happy and the whole guild! He also agreed to be my slave for two whole days!" she laughed then, a shrill, manic sound. Lucy's eyes widened.

"He agreed to _what_?" The disbelief was evident in her voice.

"He's going to do whatever I say for two days. I wanted at least a week, but it couldn't be helped."

Lucy looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "Are you sure we're talking about Laxus? Tall, blonde, permanently looks like he's about to headbutt someone?"

"Yeah!" Natsumi smile was bright.

The blonde mage whistled low. "Nat, that's impressive. Are you sure he's going to go through with all that's stuff? I've never met anyone as proud as he is. That's a lot to ask of him, even though he deserves it."

Natsumi shrugged, turning around so she was sitting upright beside Lucy. She fiddled with a bare thread on the duvet beneath her. "I told him I wouldn't forgive him otherwise. I don't really care about the fighting, but he threatened everyone and insulted the guild. And I can't let him go for threatening Happy."

"Still…it _is_ Laxus. He might've agreed to all that, but I'll believe it when I see it. Though it's not like he hasn't taken everyone by surprise before."

"I guess," Natsumi agreed. Standing up and heading for the door, she called, "but I'm starved!"

Lucy squawked as her friend abandoned her. "Hey! Come back here! You still haven't told me what you were doing with him!"

Half an hour and a dozen chicken wings later, Natsumi relayed the major events of the morning, deciding to hold back the discussion of the confusing fluttery feelings she'd discovered. Lucy didn't need to know that yet. At least not until she got it straight in her own head—if she ever did.

"So," Lucy began, resting her chin on her hands as she sat at the small table they had in the kitchen, choosing to ignore the way Natsumi was still picking her teeth, "are you guys like…a thing now?"

Natsumi froze with a finger in her mouth, midway through liberating the last bit of stuck chicken. "Uh," she uttered uselessly.

The blonde frowned. "You're hopeless. You didn't answer him?"

Giving up her fight with the chicken, Natsumi slouched in her chair, crossing her arms in front of her, avoiding Lucy's questioning stare.

"I don't know! It's not like I know what I'm doing, here! And then we got off track and it just sort of never came up again."

"And he just let you drop it? Just like that?" The blonde couldn't fathom her friend's actions. A smaller, petulant part of her wanted to scold Natsumi for mishandling the situation so completely when Lucy herself had yet to attract anyone worth a damn.

Another shrug from the pink-haired girl. "I guess?"

"Wow. I guess I better give the guy credit. He didn't even try to kiss you when he left or anything?"

Natsumi's face turned the color of her hair.

"Wait, he did?! Why didn't you say anything?!" Lucy's hands came slamming down on the tabletop, brown eyes wide.

"No! He didn't!" Natsumi shook her head vigorously, throwing her hands out in front of her in protest. "He just said he'd see me tomorrow and then walked away!"

Lucy's expression didn't change except to raise one fair eyebrow. "Defensive much?"

"I'm not! I'm telling the truth, weirdo," the smaller girl pouted.

"If you say so…" Lucy relented, relaxing against the back of her chair. Then, a gleam ignited in her eyes, which did little to ease the dragon slayer's jumpiness.

"If he didn't kiss you and you're acting like this, then you must have wanted him to," she teased with a knowing look.

Natsumi gasped, her mouth dropping open. "I did not! Stop it!"

"Maybe only because you didn't bother to think about if you wanted to. You obviously like him. It's not like it's a secret anymore. You're just lucky Happy isn't here. He'd be a thousand times worse than I am."

Natsumi looked around, belatedly noticed the cat's absence and immediately felt guilty.

"Where is he? Didn't he come back with you?" She hoped the Exceed hadn't been too upset after being yelled at by Laxus and wasn't mad at her for not checking on him.

"He wanted to stay and greet Wendy and Carla when they came back from their job with Erza. Though I think he just wanted to be the first to spread the word of what happened, the damn cat," her friend explained. "He said not to worry and he'd be back later."

"He wasn't mad, was he?" Natsumi asked, frowning, shrinking further into her chair.

Lucy let out a short laugh. "Of course he wasn't. He was a bit shaken, but you know Happy better than anyone. Five minutes later, he was shouting about how you two liiiiiiked each other," she said, imitating Happy's sing-song voice.

The dragon slayer smiled, though she was still wary. She didn't want anything to come between her and Happy. He was her first and best friend, and she wanted to make sure he knew that no matter what happened with Laxus, she wouldn't abandon him for anything.

As she thought her guilt, another memory came to mind. Clearing her throat, she looked at her friend, suddenly sheepish. "I guess I should say that I'm sorry."

Lucy cocked her head to one side, pigtails swishing. "What? What for?"

Rubbing the back of her neck, Natsumi looked away. "About last night. You were right and I was being dumb, but I didn't know where Laxus was coming from, so I didn't want to deal with…caring about him. And I guess I should thank you, too. For being nosy and telling Laxus not to give up. I don't know if I would have ever understood him if you hadn't."

Natsumi still looked away from the blonde, so she was surprised when she was nearly bowled over when her friend attacked her in a fierce embrace.

"I'm sorry, too," Lucy said. "For pushing you so hard when I knew it hurt you. But I'm not sorry for talking to Laxus, since it helped you," she laughed, pulling away.

Looking Natsumi in the eye, she smiled. "So I guess what I'm saying is you're welcome. You're my best friend, and we have to have each other's backs, right?"

Laughing, Natsumi nodded. "Right."

The heavy talk over, the two friends hung around the apartment for the rest of the day, discussing future job plans and fellow guild members. Happy flew in several hours later, excitedly chattering about his still-unsuccessful attempts to woo Carla. Laughing, the roommates spent the evening together, happy that the Exceed hadn't suffered any lasting trauma from being threatened by Laxus.

As Natsumi lounged in her hammock that night, the apartment silent save for the distant sound of Lucy's breathing several rooms away, the girl hugged the Exceed closely to her.

"I'm glad you aren't mad at me, Happy," she whispered.

"I'd never be mad at you! You're my best friend in the world!" Happy protested, burrowing further into the thick strands of Natsumi's now syrup-free hair.

She smiled, content, and scratched between the cat's ears, giggling when they twitched against her hand. A lot had happened that day, she knew, but when she closed her eyes, sleep came easily, her worries finally abated.

And if Happy noticed the smile on her sleeping face, he didn't say anything. At least for now.

* * *

Natsumi woke up to the sound of the front door slamming. She groggily opened one black eye, groaning as she brought a hand up to rub the sleep crust away. A wiggling near her stomach brought Happy into her foggy awareness. Reaching down to pat his head, he giggled, moving to sit on her.

"Wake up, sleepyhead! Lucy's already gone to the guild!"

She opened her other eye blearily. "What?" she mumbled, mind struggling to make sense of what the cat was saying.

"Gosh, Natsumi. You're always so dumb in the mornings. Maybe if I go get Laxus to come wake you up…" The phrase 'swallowed the canary' was never more fitting for the expression that the cat was sporting.

She flailed, eyes fully opening as she knocked herself out of the hammock, landing flat on her back. Happy floated above her, giggling at her exploits. She glared up at him, but made no move to get off the floor.

"Hehehe," the cat continued, "that sure woke you up."

"Shut up," she grumbled, still on her back.

"Still, don't you want to make the most of today? It's not every day that Laxus agrees to do whatever someone else says. The faster we get to the guild, the faster you can make him get me as many fish as I want!"

Natsumi sat up slowly, pushing her bangs out of her face. "Yeah, yeah," she waved her hand at the cat, acknowledging him. "Let me get dressed and we'll go, 'kay? But the bastard probably won't even show up until the very last minute, knowing him." She stood up, shuffling around the room, gathering her vest and shoes. Once dressed, she shook out her hair, letting it fall down her back in its normal snarl. Deciding she'd have to eat at the guild since Lucy wasn't around to cook, she let Happy perch on her head as she made her way through the door.

And immediately bumped into a wall, knocking her backwards and Happy off her head.

She looked up, surprised to see Laxus poised to knock on the door, looking down at her with an equally startled look, hand still raised in the air.

"Uh," she blurted, stunned at his appearance.

"Hey," He dropped his hand and schooled his expression into his default of casual disinterest.

She stared at him with a blank face. "What are you doing here?"

His eyes narrowed, annoyed. "Hello to you, too, Pinky."

She stuck her tongue out at him, still in her doorway. "What did you want?" She cocked her head to one side.

"I'm not here to see you," he huffed out, eyes sliding past her. "I'm actually here for the cat."

"What?" She was back to confusion.

"Oh my God. Just move, okay?" He gently pushed her back into the doorway, revealing the cat hovering slightly behind her. Laxus looked at the cat, the force of his trademark frown causing the small creature to waver in the air, his wings flapping irregularly.

"Listen, cat. And stop freakin' out," he began. Happy's eyes widened as he righted himself. Natsumi went to go to him, but Laxus held out an arm, silencing the protest that rose within her. "I'm not going to hurt you, so relax. Look," he dropped his eyes, frowning deeper, his posture locking up, "I didn't mean to scare you yesterday. So, yeah, sorry," he finished, staring at the wall with an uncomfortable expression.

Natsumi stood at his side, floored. He turned to look at her, glaring.

"Oh, close your mouth. I said I'd apologize, alright? Figured I'd get it over with before facing the rest of those fuckers," he grunted.

She nodded, eyes still wide. They both looked at Happy then, who still had yet to say anything, but just floated in front of the pair wearing a shocked expression on his feline face.

"Happy?" Natsumi asked tentatively, not wanting to startle the Exceed further.

It was the pair's turn to be startled as Happy rushed Laxus, laughing as he buried himself on the fur-lined edge of the man's coat.

"Oi, what's your problem?!" The blonde shouted, grabbing the cat by the scruff and holding him in front of his face.

Happy laughed, "It's okay, Laxus, I forgive you!"

"Well don't just go rubbing yourself on people, damn it!"

"But you're always supposed to hug someone when you accept their apology!" the cat proclaimed cheerfully, spreading his arms wide in front of him, completely unaffected by Laxus's pissed off expression.

"What kind of stupid rule is that?" He didn't let the cat go, afraid that Happy would attack him again. Damn thing probably had fleas or something.

Happy frowned. Clearly Laxus was missing the point. "But Natsumi hugged you after you apologized, right? We all saw it!" He flapped his wings happily, beaming.

Laxus turned to Natsumi, but found no comfort in her equally sunny smile. Looking between the two, he sighed, suddenly looking exhausted. He dropped the cat, sending him to the hardwood floor with a sharp yowl. He turned away then, walking out the door, grumbling about he didn't have time for this shit.

Natsumi exchanged a smug look with Happy, and both burst into identical fits of laughter. Picking up the Exceed off the floor and sitting him on her shoulder, she closed the door behind her, running after Laxus.

"Hey, wait up! And that's an order!" His shoulders tensed at her order, but he complied with the command. She laughed at his stiff posture.

"So you didn't forget that you have to do what I say starting today," she remarked as she reached his side.

He refused to look at her, "I swear to God if you make me do anything embarrassing…" he growled out.

She laughed again, grabbing at his sleeve to pull him back into his stride as they headed to the guild. "Why? It's not like anybody would be surprised after yesterday. And you even did that one yourself!" she teased, looking back at him.

"Laxus, you should do what Natsumi says because you looooove her!" Happy added from his perch on the girl's shoulder.

Laxus glared at the two. "Watch it, cat." He didn't make any move to break Natsumi's grip on his wrist, however. He let her lead him down the familiar road by the riverside toward the guild, not bothering to continue the conversation.

As they continued on, Natsumi was preoccupied with watching the familiar scenery pass by. She was used to either walking alone or with Lucy to the guild, where her taller friend would climb up on the barrier between the street in the river and balance along, much to the chagrin of the fisherman on the water. Laxus's presence was definitely a change, but not a bad one, she thought. Especially since the lightning mage's caustic attitude didn't seem to be quite at its usual level.

They passed the local flower and book shops, the smells of old paper and pollen comforting to the tiny dragon slayer. She almost didn't notice Happy touching the side of her face with a paw.

"What's up, buddy?" she asked, turning her head to look at the Exceed.

He nudged her face again, "I'm going to go on ahead, okay? Yesterday Mira said she was expecting a fish delivery this morning, and it's already almost eleven! I want to make sure I get one!"

Natsumi laughed, patting his head with her free hand. "Alright. I'll meet you there in a bit, 'kay?"

"Aye, sir!" Happy shouted as he launched himself into the air, wings materializing once more. She watched him speed down the road with a smile.

She was still smiling when she felt an arm slide around her shoulders.

"Took him long enough. I thought he'd never beat it." Laxus remarked, pulling her closer to his side. She whipped her head to her left, seeing Laxus looking straight ahead, but with a smirk gracing his features rather than his typical annoyed countenance. "That cat has way more subtlety than I thought, though, so I'll give him that."

Natsumi raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? And what are you even doing?"

He mirrored her expression. "What does it look like I'm doing? You make a good arm rest, Pinky."

"You know if you wanted to put your arm around me, you could have just said so, tough guy. You don't need to get all macho about it," she rolled her eyes.

"Says the girl that girl that once threatened to fight Jura Neekis and meant it," he countered.

Natsumi puffed out her cheeks and blew out a burst of air, exasperated. "Point is, no one thinks you're cool anyway, so you might as well own it." She paused, then her eyes lit up, looking up at him. "Actually," she started, "that's an order. No tough guy shit today, 'kay? It's illegal."

"Like hell I'm going act all sappy around you. Plus, I'm a Fairy Tail wizard. Rules don't mean shit," he glared at her.

She narrowed her eyes in challenge. "They do if you gave your word."

The little shit. She had him there.

He grunted, not saying anything, knowing she'd get the picture.

"Anyway," she said, voice light once more, "no one said you had to act mushy. That'd be creepy. But just stop making excuses for doing stuff you want to do, yeah? You're not fooling anyone anymore."

"Ugh, okay. God, you're so pushy."

"Maybe, but you don't have a choice today," she said, smugly pushing her nose in the air.

That may be true, he thought. But there wasn't a damn thing she could do to make him happy about it, no matter how cute she looked smiling at herself.

They walked together the rest of the way to the guild, with Natsumi oblivious to the odd looks they got from passersby. The townspeople stared, confused, because was that _Laxus Dreyar_ with the _Salamander_ and was that his arm around her? One pointed look from the lightning mage, however, would have them quickly averting their questioning gaze, hurrying on their way. And if anyone noticed that the man looked marginally less pissy than usual, well then, they saw no reason to make a fuss over it, especially within earshot of one of Fairy Tail's strongest.

* * *

The mood between the duo grew colder as the guild hall came into view, and Natsumi felt Laxus's arm tighten around her. They slowed their pace as they walked through the portcullis and into the courtyard, stopping in front of the huge double doors. He heaved a sigh, knowing that it was probably best to get it over with and face whatever came head on. He moved to take his arm from its spot around her, but to his surprise, she stopped him, her hand coming to grab his, squeezing it in reassurance. She moved in front of him, looking up at him with a bright smile on her face.

"It'll be fine," she promised. "Just stay by me."

"For what? I thought you said this wasn't about protection," he said, wrapping his other arm around her.

He smile grew, a feat he didn't think was possible.

"I'm not going to protect you, stupid. I want to stay with you, and you can't stop me today." She pointed up at him with an accusing finger, as if daring him to contradict her.

"Yeah?" he asked, cracking a slight smile, the first real one she'd seen on him today.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Plus, you would never have asked me to stay on your own, even though you want me to." His smile faltered, but didn't fade entirely at her words. He brought one of his hands to her neck, catching his fingers in the pink strands. "I thought you were supposed to be emotionally stupid," he said, tugging her hair gently.

She leaned forward, knocking him in the chest slightly with her head. "I can learn, you know! And I'm right, so admit it!" she said, leaning back away to face him again. "It's hard to face people after you've done something wrong. I used to hate being scolded by Igneel, and Gramps, too. But it's better if you have back up," she finished, winking at him.

His eyes widened, surprised at how she'd managed to cut to the heart of the matter. He opened his mouth for a sarcastic retort, but stopped himself. Looking at her bright eyes, how she looked at him with such confidence, he found himself not wanting to ruin it again with another snide comment, even if it was almost too easy. He smiled instead.

"You're really something, Nat," he said, detangling his hand from her hair, but keeping one arm around her. He walked them the last few steps to the guild hall doors, pressing a hand against them, readying himself to open them. "Thanks," he finished lamely, not sure what else to say.

She looked radiant, genuinely pleased at his thanks. "Don't worry about it. I doubt there's even that many people there, anyway. It's not even eleven." She put a hand on the other door in a show of solidarity, confident that there would be a limited number of people there to greet them. Somehow, he doubted that.

Pushing down the pit in his stomach, they gave the guild doors a sharp push, sending them open to meet his inevitable punishment.

* * *

 **Note:** Cue ominous Jaws music.

Not much to say here these days, other than please drop a review if you feel so inclined, and to subscribe if you haven't already!

 **Next Chapter Preview:** The Consequences of Being a Huge Tool

 _"Fuckers really came out of the woodwork for this, didn't they?" he mumbled to himself._

 _He'd already decided the best approach would be to just own it and get it over with as quickly as possible. He may have fucked up in front of these people, but he refused to cower under the weight of their gazes. No matter how sorry he was, he wasn't about to be weak in front of them again._


	11. The Consequences of Being a Huge Tool

**Edit** (12/15): Some severe proofreading errors have been corrected. I'm actually kind of embarrassed that I let something so unfinished lie unnoticed for so long.

 **AN:** It feels like its been forever, even if it's only been a week since I last posted. I didn't really intend for it to be so long, but I've been so busy with school, even posting pre-written documents was kind of out of my reach. I know I left off on a bit of a cliffhanger, but the wait's over now! We'll finally get to see what's in store for Laxus.

As usual, thanks for all the reviews, favs, and subscriptions so far.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **The Consequences of Being a Huge Tool**

Leave it to Natsumi to be completely and totally wrong, Laxus thought dryly.

As they walked through the doors, the heads of nearly every Fairy Tail mage snapped to them, several of them abandoning conversations mid-sentence.

"Fuckers really came out of the woodwork for this, didn't they?" he mumbled to himself. It seemed like today was the day everyone decided to come back from jobs. It amazed him how quickly everyone mobilized when there was a promise of a show involved.

He felt more than heard Natsumi's stifled giggles, and he smiled inwardly. He really did appreciate her staying with him, not wanting to admit that he was apprehensive about facing everyone, the Old Man included.

Dead silence greeted them as they stopped in the entryway. Looking around, Laxus found that most faces looked more bemused than afraid, which he wasn't sure was a good thing or not. Though, to be fair, the faces that he knew hadn't been there the day before, like Wendy and Erza, seemed to contain only surprise. He suspected, however, that that had more to do with his entrance with a certain dragon slayer than his reclaimed status as a public enemy. He couldn't see the rest of his team, but he saw Lucy at a table with the Exceeds and Gray, looking expectantly in their direction.

When no one said anything, he cleared his throat.

"Okay, look. I know I screwed up. Again. And I don't know what you guys want me to say other than I'm sorry. So I guess someone should probably go get the Old Man or something." He'd already decided the best approach would be to just own it and get it over with as quickly as possible. He may have fucked up in front of these people, but he refused to cower under the weight of their gazes. No matter how sorry he was, he wasn't about to be weak in front of them again.

"There's no need for that, Laxus," a voice from the second floor terrace called. Laxus immediately stiffened.

"Hey, Gramps," he said, deflated. He'd been hoping that his grandfather would manage to stay away long enough for this all to blow over, but it'd seemed like he'd wished in vain. He looked up at the small man, who was standing on the banister on the far left side of the guild hall, overlooking the crowd gathered beneath.

Makarov's brows were drawn together, giving his grandson an inscrutable look.

"So what's this I hear about you making a ruckus yesterday? You not only enlisted the help of your team members to force one of your own to fight you, but you destroyed guild property as well," he listed off, his voice firm. "Is that correct?" His face gave nothing away as he stared Laxus down from above.

He wasn't going to be cowed by the Old Man. He didn't come here to try and run away. Squeezing Natsumi's shoulder, he answered his grandfather.

"Yeah, it's true." He made sure to keep his voice even. The Old Man would get nothing from him that he didn't wish to give.

"And you think threatening and assaulting a member of your family is excusable just because you show up here and throw out a halfhearted apology?!" Makarov yelled, his voice booming at a level that should have been impossible for a man of his stunted stature.

He just pissed Laxus off.

"Look, Old Man!" he yelled back. "I came here to apologize for what I did. It doesn't matter if you think it's halfhearted or not, because it's genuine. I can't change what I did, but I said yesterday that I'd come back and face whatever punishment I earned, and here I am. Nothing else concerns you, since I've already apologized to everyone directly involved. I'll do whatever you want to make up for it, but I didn't come here to be lectured about what I already know." Laxus refused to have his intentions undermined just because Gramps was angry with him. Not today.

Makarov was quiet after Laxus spoke. After several moments, he responded, his face devoid of all expression.

"You're here to make amends, then?" he thought out loud, his voice contemplative.

Laxus nodded.

"You're willing to face punishment for your actions, set forth by me as sixth Master of the Fairy Tail Guild?"

Another nod.

Makarov's face darkened, and Laxus braced himself. In the back of his mind, he wondered if the Old Man would actually kick him out a second time, here in front of everyone. After all, it had been Gildarts that reinstated him, not his grandfather.

"Then I suppose it can't be helped," he said, jumping from the banister to the ground floor. The blonde felt Natsumi move closer, pressing harder against his side as the Master walked closer, glaring at Laxus all the while.

Stopping feet from the pair, he held Laxus's gaze for several heavy seconds. He felt his heartrate pick up, feeling more nervous by the moment, becoming increasingly sure that the Old Man's punishment would be way more severe than he'd anticipated.

When he wasn't sure he could bare the weight of the small man's gaze anymore, ashamed as he was of it, the Master's face suddenly cleared, giving way to booming peals of laughter that rang throughout the guild hall. At his outburst, the silent crowd exploded into a tsunami of sound, mostly containing laughter and few loud, suggestive whistles.

Makarov, wiping his eyes, shouted above the boisterous audience.

"Which one of you brats bet that he'd get down on his knees again? You owe me 9000 Jewel! I know my grandson better than that!" He yelled, throwing up his hands.

"Macao does, Master." Mirajane called sweetly from behind the bar.

Laxus was frozen. He slowly turned to face Natsumi, who looked back at him, her face the picture of confusion. Seeing she also had no idea what was happening, he decided that he'd had quite enough of this horseshit.

"What the hell is this?" he asked his grandfather, not bothering to disguise his annoyance.

"This, Laxus," Makarov answered, "was your punishment. Everyone agreed that you didn't do a good enough job embarrassing yourself yesterday, so it was our turn to put on a show. However, if you think you're going to get out of paying for the damages you caused, you're mistaken."

"So you guys planned all this?" Natsumi asked, cocking her head to one side. Her question was greeted with more laughter.

"To be honest, I was ready to ban Laxus from taking jobs for a few weeks when I heard what he pulled," he shook his head, mumbling something about stupid children before turning to his grandson, "but when Lucy came in earlier this morning, she explained how you were planning to apologize to everyone. When Happy confirmed that you actually did, I decided that you were probably already in for your fair share of suffering if Natsumi has her say over the next few days," he laughed.

The noise in the guild had subsided into a dull roar as the initial excitement died down.

"I'm not sure whether to thank that stupid cat or throttle him," Laxus mumbled, finally letting go of his hold on Natsumi.

"Oh, please, you owe us both one, Laxus," Lucy called, walking up from her place at her table. "Better yet, you owe Nat for being the architect of your restitution plan."

Natsumi laughed, jogging over to Lucy and bringing her into a fierce hug. "Thanks, Luce. You're the best, even if I don't know what the hell 'restitution' means."

"Hey! I helped, too!" Happy cried as he flew over, joining the hug. "I even said we should embarrass Laxus and everything!"

The dragon slayer laughed, making room for the cat. "Thanks, Happy."

"Hey! Don't thank him! Why has it suddenly become the goal to publicly humiliate me?" Laxus wondered how they all could be collectively bored enough to actually keep up the charade for even the short time they had. If you asked him, they could all get a life.

"'Cause you make it too easy. You're the one who did it first anyway, you baby." Natsumi said, loosening her grip on Lucy.

"Laxus doesn't want anyone to know what a dork he is, I bet," Happy added, his wide-eyed innocence not endearing him to the lightning mage in the slightest.

He scoffed, "Whatever. I need a drink," he declared, heading toward the bar.

"It's not even noon yet, brat!" Makarov admonished him, but Laxus only clicked his tongue in response.

"Should've thought about that before you almost gave me a heart attack, Old Man! I deserve one." He made a gesture at Mira, who pursed her lips, unsure if she should honor the request, looking over his shoulder at his grandfather. He scowled at her.

"Just get me a beer, Mira. I'm not going to turn into a fucking lush if I drink one after dealing with this shit."

She sighed, giving in, reaching down for a tankard and filling it from the tap with practiced ease. "Just this once. Then you have to wait until six just like the rest of the good little budding alcoholics."

"You're fucking hilarious. Seriously. Everyone's turned into a goddamned comedian around here." He took a long gulp of the bitter liquid.

"Don't you think you're being a little melodramatic? I mean, everyone just wanted to have a little fun with you after you scared them yesterday. You should be grateful no one's actually mad at you."

He sighed, setting down the heavy mug.

"Yeah, I know. I'm being an asshole. But it's been a crazy few days and it's only going to get crazier now that I agreed to wait hand and foot on that little menace for the next few days to make it up to her. Now everyone seems to think they have license to take the piss out of me, especially that damn cat," he said, taking another sip.

She laughed, but at least had the grace to try to stifle it first. "No one forced you to agree to that, you know. Sounds like you just wanted to make her happy," she winked at him as she began polishing glassware.

"Well yeah, I mean there's not really much use in denying it now," he admitted. He rested an elbow on the table, absently adjusting the sound pods around his neck as he sulked. "It's not even that I mind doing it. It's just fucking embarrassing being harassed by everyone. People used to respect me, and now they've all but spelled out how they're never going to let me live yesterday down."

Mira gave him a questioning look from over the wine glass in her hand. "Of course people still respect you, Laxus. Don't be ridiculous. They just aren't intimidated enough to not stay out of your way anymore."

"Same thing."

She stopped polishing the glass, sitting it down in front of him to lean both palms flat on the counter.

"No, it's not the same. You have to know how much everyone loves Natsumi. She's one of the hearts of the entire guild. There's no way that you could ever take her away from that—and I know that you're not trying to," she said when he went to protest.

"My point is that she considers everyone here family. And by getting involved with her, you're going to have to deal with that. You're not going to be able to stand above everyone anymore. No one's giving you a hard time because they don't respect you. They're doing it because they want to get to know you in a way that you haven't let them your whole life."

When he didn't respond, she continued.

"I'm not saying you have to become best friends with every last person here, but you should give them a chance. At the very least, lighten up with Happy. He's like that with everyone, and he's also a package deal with Natsumi, as I'm sure you're aware."

His eye twitched at the thought of being the continued subject of the blue furball's taunting. Mira, noticing this, relaxed her position, smiling at him as she picked up her polishing cloth.

"I know it's hard, but I'm proud of you for going this far for her. And I think Master is, too, even if he was surprised that you let Natsumi throw you to your knees in front of everyone."

He pushed his now-empty tankard away, choosing to bang his head on the counter top before he threw it at someone.

"Don't fucking remind me," he said into the polished wood.

Mira giggled, and not for the first time in his life, he found himself not at all surprised that she housed the soul of a demon.

"Well I thought it was really romantic," she offered.

"That's even worse," he groaned. He wished Mira wasn't such a hardass with day-drinking. He would very much like to not remember this morning if he could manage it.

"No it's not, and you know it," she scolded, prying the tankard from his hand. "If you think about it, it's kind of fitting."

He raised his head, his face daring her to go on. She did.

"This is the first time you've ever done anything like this. It's the only time you ever spent this much effort for someone else's favor. So far everyone you've ever met has had to chase after you, even your team. It's kind of fitting that the only person to have this kind of power over you is another dragon slayer. It makes even more sense if you consider that she was raised by a real dragon. So it's almost like how the only thing that can defeat a dragon is another dragon," she finished with a cheerful smile.

Laxus only blinked at her. There wasn't going to be any reasoning with the She-Devil, no matter how long he argued with her. Sensing that her work was done, Mira only winked at him and walked away, presumably off to complete other employee duties that didn't include distributing unsolicited life advice. Good riddance, he thought.

He was about to put on his sound pods and drown out the mindless drivel of his loud guild mates, when of course, the never ending shitstorm that had become his life decided that he wasn't allowed to have peace.

"Come here and say that to my face, Streaker!" he heard the angry voice of Natsumi yell from the other end of the guild. He rolled his eyes and pivoted in his seat, facing the open floor. He watched Nat, fists aflame, advance on Gray, who was once again clad in only boxers.

"I didn't say anything, Smoke for Brains! Maybe you should mind your own business!" he yelled back.

"Well maybe you should keep other people's names out of your mouth!"

"Oh yeah, what are you going to do about it?!"

"I'll show you what I'll do about it, asshole!" she screamed as she launched herself directly at Gray.

Seeing her approach, he immediately adopted his Maker stance, shouting out "Ice Make: Barriers!"

A series of ice walls erupted from the floor, advancing towards Natsumi's accelerating form.

Laxus idly wondered if he'd still be financially liable for the floor repair if those two were going to fuck it up today, as well.

There was an explosion as Natsumi unleashed a bellow of flame right before she collided with the first wall. Chunks of ice went flying, knocking over furniture and hitting bystanders. Laxus watched as a chunk hit the bar to his right, taking a stool with it.

He saw another shower of ice shards erupt as Natsumi pounded her way through the remaining barriers, a large piece careening across the guild and hitting Elfman in the side of the head. The huge man roared, yelling about how blindsiding an opponent wasn't manly and running into the fray, where Gray and Natsumi were exchanging blows. As he ran, he knocked into a table, sending Laki and Max flying in a string of curses.

The fight soon evolved into a huge melee when Natsumi, not being satisfied with just Gray and Elfman, started taunting Gajeel as well. Laxus sat at the bar, wondering how long it'd be before someone put a stop to the idiot extravaganza unfolding before him. His question was answered when someone managed to throw a chair onto the upper level.

"What is the meaning of this? One cannot even go to the bathroom for five minutes without you all trying to destroy the building? Who is at fault? Take responsibility!"

All activity immediately stopped, with Elfman poised to throw an equally frozen Natsumi into Gray, who had paused mid sword battle with Gajeel, wielding ice and iron, respectively. All four slowly turned to look with wide eyes at Erza on the staircase, who wore a look that promised swift and painful retribution. Laxus pitied the poor bastards. He hoped she wouldn't rough Natsumi up too badly. He kind of liked her face the way it was.

"You will all clean this mess up at once! There will be no fighting in this guild!" she bellowed, pointing her sword at the troublemakers.

There was a chorus of "yes ma'am!" and "aye, sir!" as they all scrambled to extricate themselves, with Elfman hastily setting Natsumi down, a terrified look on his face.

The brawlers got to work righting upturned tables and chairs, afraid of incurring the true wrath of Titania. Natsumi caught Laxus's eye, the look on her face pleading. He was going to go help the pitiful little shit when Erza noticed him get up.

"You will clean up the mess you made yourself, Natsumi. It isn't Laxus's responsibility to fix your mistakes, even if he does have an obligation to you for the next few days," she commanded. Natsumi glared impotently at the ground, sadly joining the others in their cleaning.

Laxus laughed. For as much trouble as she got into, she really was cute, in an obnoxious sort of way. He watched her with amused eyes as her and the others finished rectifying what they could and attempted to hide what they couldn't, though he doubted the table they'd used to cover a giant hole they'd put in the wall was going to do shit to fool Titania, but then again, it wasn't really his problem.

Minutes later, Natsumi approached him, cherry blossom hair rumpled and skin covered in more bruises than usual. He chuckled as she hopped onto the bar stool next to him, mumbling about how Erza was such a buzzkill and how Gray deserved it for being an ass.

"What'd he even do?" he asked her as she pouted.

He blew her bangs out of her face, only to have them flop back down immediately afterwards. "Made some smartass crack about me, probably."

"Wait, what do you mean 'probably?'" His eyebrows shot up, not sure if he heard her correctly.

"Well I heard him say my name. Knowing that exhibitionist, he was probably saying something weird, so I had to teach him a lesson," she explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He shook his head at the girl in front of him, wondering how someone so irrational managed to survive eighteen years of life.

She surprised him by slumping over, burying her face in the fur trim of his coat. The awkward angle of the action almost made him laugh again. Since she was so short, she almost couldn't close the distance between them while they were both seated.

"'M ngry," she mumbled into the fur, and he hoped that she wasn't actually putting it in her mouth. Though knowing her, she'd just drool over it like a fucking infant and laugh about it, little menace that she was.

"If you're hungry, then get food," he told her, having deciphered the unhelpful mumbling she'd supplied him with.

She pushed off him, eyes narrowed with her bottom lip jutted out.

"You're supposed to do it. You're doing what I say, right? Well, I'm hungry."

What the hell was she talking about? "Do I look like a chef to you?"

"No, stupid," she groused at him. "I'm saying I want food. Food is here. Take care of it, yeah?" she explained, flashing him a toothy, triumphant smile as realization dawned on him.

"Fine, whatever. Just have Mira add it to my tab. Just please go easy on the syrup this time," he smirked at her, watching her expression flash back to one of exasperation.

"I wasn't even going to get pancakes! You dunk your hair in syrup _one time_ and suddenly everyone's on your case about it, sheesh," she glowered.

"Can you blame them when you probably got more on you than in you? You're eighteen, not four."

She gave him a dirty look, signaling Mira over with an enthusiastic wave. "Just for that, I'm going to make you regret agreeing to this business. Say goodbye to your wallet, Dreyar!"

"You're probably a hundred pounds soaking wet, Nat. That's not going to happen, even if you make yourself sick," he laughed. Instead of the mock-angry glare that he'd expected however, she gave him a knowing look, smirk and all. He was determined to call her bluff as he watched her ask Mira about the most expensive entrée she served in a sickly sweet tone.

If she wanted to play this game, he would enjoy telling her 'I told you so'.

* * *

By late afternoon, he still wasn't exactly sure how any of this was possible.

His bravado had quickly shifted into a sort of disgusted fascination as she continued to shovel huge bites into her mouth, only pausing to ask Mira for seconds—Thirds? Fourths? Twelfths? Who the fuck knew at this point—or to taunt him, asking if he was ready to give up yet. He hadn't given in, both too stubborn to admit defeat and too weirdly curious to see just how much matter she could condense into that tiny frame.

It was honestly starting to get ridiculous, he decided. He was pretty sure she was cheating, but couldn't figure out how, even though he'd been watching her like a hawk since Mira's third visit. His worldview couldn't accept that she was actually consuming all of it when he himself would have thrown in the towel a while ago, and he dwarfed her...by a lot. She was probably using magic...or having someone use magic on her. If she was, it would only be a matter of time before she got bored enough to abandon her quest to put him in the poorhouse. He could wait. Despite popular belief, Laxus was a patient man, especially compared to the slip of a dragon slayer.

He couldn't stop himself from asking, though.

"How does Lucy even afford to keep you as a pet?" he said, watching her inhale yet another mouthful of some type of pasta that he'd long since stopped caring about.

"Them's fighting words!" she cried with her mouth full, looking for all the world like a squirrel with an attitude problem. She swallowed so she could talk properly. "And I'm not Lucy's _pet_. I don't need anyone to take care of me, got it?" Stabbing her fork into her plate, she took another vicious bite.

"And I pay for stuff all the time! Mostly food, but that's about the same as the rent, so it all evens out in the end, anyway!" she defended.

His eyes widened. "You're telling me that you eat more than your rent's worth? What the fuck? How is that even possible?"

She shrugged. "I get hungry."

"This isn't hunger. This is…this is a scientific anomaly."

"Shut up. I'm only eating _this_ much because it's free. That's mostly why I asked you to be my slave, anyways," she told him, stopping her assault on her food to take a sip of the chocolate milkshake Mira had dropped off several minutes ago, along with a look at Laxus that was equal parts sympathy and amusement.

"So you just wanted free food? I'm not sure if I should be angry about that or not," he said, finding himself in a rare state of genuine confusion. It wasn't often that he found himself so puzzled that he wasn't sure how to react.

"What else was I going to have you do?" She turned to him, still holding her milkshake in one hand and the ridiculously curly straw sticking out of it in the other.

"I don't know. I figured I'd be in for something at least a little scarier than buying you enough food to feed a family of six for a month. Like how bad Gray had it after the Games a few months ago when Juvia got to him." They both shuddered at the memory.

He watch her take another sip, thankful that she'd managed to not decorate herself with her food this time. With the stupid fancy straw sticking out of her mouth, she actually managed to look kind of dainty and not like she was involved in—and probably winning—a bar fight, a few hours ago. Laxus supposed he shouldn't be surprised that she was so full of contradictions, since he sort of liked her that way. He guessed he was as well, since he still managed to find her enticing even though he simultaneously found her sloppy and immature.

The blonde realized that he'd been staring while she was talking to him, and he shook his head. Luckily she didn't seem to realize he'd been preoccupied. She only continued to speak around a mouth full of milkshake.

"—didn't seem that fair after everything, you know? I mean, I'm not really creative enough to do anything too weird. I guess I could have asked Lucy for ideas. She's plenty weird enough. Maybe you could do an impression of Happy or something?" She rambled, twirling her straw as she stared off into space as she contemplated, kicking her feet all the while.

Someone that ate like she did should not be allowed to have the capacity to be cute at all, much less to that extent. Or maybe he was just fucked up. It was probably a bit of both, if he was being honest with himself.

"Or I could make you spar with me, but you already said that was basically the only thing you wouldn't do ever, so I guess that's pretty fair. So I picked something that I wanted that you wouldn't mind so much," she said, tossing him a smile as she turned back around to face the remnants of her most recent order.

Laxus hadn't expected her to put any thought into what she asked him to do. He had thought he had been signing himself up to two days of ceaseless embarrassment. Hell, even Gramps had thought so when he rescinded his own proposed punishment. He hadn't expected that she'd have his back at all.

But she had.

On some level, he knew that this was who she was, but he saw this side of her so rarely that it was easy to forget just how…compassionate she was, at least to people she cared about. He'd only seen it in person a handful of times, most notably in fights, until yesterday, and it was another reason that he had grown to feel as strongly about her as he did. She was a pain, yeah, but it went hand in hand with the almost boundless mercy she showed people. Mercy that she didn't even seem to be aware of.

He wondered why there weren't more lovesick assholes lined up for her, and was suddenly grateful for her sloppiness and raging temper in an entirely new way.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, noticing his intense stare. "Do I need to hit you or something, like you're supposed to when someone gets all hysterical?"

He shook his head, "Nah, I'm good. Just thinking."

"About what?" she asked.

"Nothing. I'll tell you later," he said. What he had to say to her— and what he found himself desperately wanting her to say back— wasn't something he wanted to do surrounded by nosy bastards and dirty dishes.

She gave him a skeptical look, but dropped the subject when he smiled at her, her eyes widening and her face taking on a pinkish hue that he found extremely becoming.

"Are you seriously going to keep going with this? Or have you proved your point?" he nodded towards her latest conquest.

She pursed her lips in thought. "That depends. Do you admit defeat?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay. I admit defeat. Happy?"

Natsumi sighed heavily. "It's not as fun when you don't sound upset about it. The victory isn't as sweet," she said, exasperated.

"Are you ordering me to be pissed off? I thought I'd been doing a pretty good job of it on my own up 'til now," he raised an eyebrow in question. A vague sense of surprise filled him when he realized he wasn't feeling the sense of resigned annoyance that he'd expected. All he felt now was an increasingly familiar sense of affection as he bickered with her. Huh. Weird.

She pushed back her plate and hopped off the stool she'd been occupying for the last several hours.

"You always do a good job of it. I'm pretty sure I can count on one hand the times I've seen you _not_ pissed off," she yawned out, stretching her arms up over her head and bending backwards.

"But anyway," she continued, oblivious of the way his eyes trailed up her figure, "I guess we don't have to stay here. I feel bad if we don't bring Happy along, but…"

"But you don't want to?" he finished for her. He leaned back, tilting his head in question.

She looked guilty. "I just don't want him to feel left behind."

"We are leaving him behind. It's kind of the point," he laughed when she pushed him hard. He tightened his hold on the counter to avoid toppling over from the force of her shove. "But it's not like you're leaving forever. It's for a few hours, tops. If he can't deal with that, then that's his problem."

Seeing that she still didn't look entirely convinced, he rose from his own stool. "Hey, cat!" he called over to where Happy was playing with one of Lucy's pigtails, much to her apparent annoyance. He looked up, beaming.

"Yeah?" The Exceed stood up at the table he'd been sitting on, his signature smile plastered on his face.

"I'm going to steal Nat for a few hours. Don't freak out, alright?" he supposed he could have asked more nicely—or asked in the first place. But then again, he wouldn't want the cat to mistake common courtesy as him legitimately asking permission. Besides, it's not like the cat owned her. She wasn't any more beholden to him than she was to Lucy, as far as Laxus was concerned.

"Aye, sir!" the cat saluted the lightning mage, then gave Natsumi an excited wave.

He looked back at Natsumi, who seemed shocked, but pleased. "See? He can take care of himself. Now let's go," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the doors.

"Have her home by ten!" Lucy shouted after them, laughing.

His only response was to salute the celestial mage with his middle finger as he walked out, a cackling Natsumi in tow.

* * *

 **Note:** Ahh yes, the return of comically grumpy Laxus. How long I've waited for this.

Despite the radio silence, I don't really have a whole lot to say about this chapter, other than to just sort of self-indulgently chortle over these dorks. I hope no one's too disappointed about how Makarov let Laxus off so easily, but I didn't think it was too out of character considering how much Laxus has calmed down since being reinstated and Makarov knowing about his feelings for Nat beforehand. Plus, I couldn't bring myself to put these two through anymore angst this soon.

Anyway, until next time! If you feel inclined, please review! I love reading them, and it definitely helps motivate me (more like remind me, honestly) to update.

 **Next Chapter Preview:** The Absolute Command of Her Highness, Queen Natsumi Dragneel

 _"It's not a big deal, Laxus! Just relax already."_

 _"I'm not relaxing until you have all your clothes back on."_


	12. The Absolute Command of Queen Natsumi

**EDIT (12/2015):** Hardcore proofreading edits done!

 **AN:** You guys are great. Seriously. Every one of you that reviewed and subscribed made my little heart go aflutter when I got the email alerts. It makes me so happy that you're enjoying the story as it trundles along.

Previously, Laxus faced the consequences (or lack thereof) of acting like an ass, as well as witness the phenomenon that is Natsumi's appetite. Today, we'll get to see just what Natsumi has in store for the rest of Laxus's days as her lackey ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

 **The Absolute Command of Her Highness, Queen Natsumi Dragneel**

They spent the next few hours walking aimlessly around town, enjoying the sun. Neither mage was much for window shopping, and they'd both seen all the sights, but Natsumi thought it was nice just to walk around the city that had taken her in all those years ago. It'd been a while since she'd had time to relax and do whatever she wanted, whether that be sleeping or training or wandering. Before this whole fiasco happened, she'd been on an endless string of jobs since they'd all managed to save Fiore from the dragons. Shuddering, she pushed those memories away, not wanting to follow that thought to how she'd watched Future Rogue kill one of her best friends, or at least a version of her.

No, she thought. Today was a day to be enjoyed.

It was weird to see Laxus so far out of his element. She didn't think he'd been anywhere without the Thunder Legion recently, and she definitely had never seen him smile so much. She hadn't expected him to actually be _happy_ about her gambit to get as much free food as possible, but then again, Laxus was just as weird as the rest of Fairy Tail, so she supposed it wasn't that surprising. Plus, he looked nice when he smiled.

They passed a book shop, the smell of ink and paper making her stop and smile at memories of Lucy.

Laxus, who'd walked on ahead, turned around to look back when he noticed she was no longer beside him.

"Oi, what's that look for? Don't tell me you want to go in there?" he asked, disbelief coloring his tone when he looked at the bookshelves in the window.

Natsumi laughed, shaking her head, jogging to catch up to where he stood.

"Nah, I don't read all that much. But Lucy does! The smell of books always reminds me of her. She wants to be an author, you know. She's in the middle of a novel right now, and sometimes I sneak into her room and read new chapters." He laughed at the evil look on her face.

"Does Lucy know?"

"Sometimes she catches me. Last time, she kicked me so hard I flew into a wall! Look, I've still got a knot on the back of my head!" she cried, taking his hand and pressing it against her head. Sure enough, he felt a slightly raised lump protruding from the back of her skull.

"Damn, Nat. No wonder you are the way you are. Your brain is probably mushy from how many head wounds you've had," he said, gently massaging the knot with his fingers. He marveled at how soft her hair was, considering how little care she seemed to put into it.

"Shut up! I'm plenty smart!" she argued, shrugging off his hand. She stomped forward a few steps with her nose in the air. However, she stopped, whipping her head back to look at him with a sly look.

"I was smart enough to find where Luce keeps her secret diary. And she hasn't caught me reading _that_ yet."

Laughing, he walked up to her. They fell into step again, ambling down the street.

"Anything juicy?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as they headed in the direction of the market.

She kicked a pebble in the street, sending it flying a few feet away. She repeated the motion as she caught up to it and pouted when she kicked it out of their path. "Not really. Lucy's actually pretty boring. And she'd really kill me if she found out I'd told anyone what was in there," she said.

He nodded, having guessed as much.

"But," she added, smirking, "once I found a list she'd made of perfect boyfriends. Happy and I laughed for half an hour."

"Anyone interesting?"

Natsumi only winked, pantomiming a zipping motion over her lips. With a roll of his eyes, Laxus let it go, content to let her be goofy.

They walked through the market in companionable silence, attracting the occasional odd look from merchants and passersby. Natsumi wasn't sure if they were the typical wary looks she normally received as one of the main destructive forces in Fairy Tail, or if it they were because of her being there with Laxus. She shrugged, deciding it didn't really matter. When she looked back up at Laxus, though, he looked uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

He looked down at her, his features surprised. "Huh?"

"Your face was all screwed up. Seemed like something was wrong," she said plainly.

"I guess people staring kind of pisses me off," he said, shrugging. "I'm used to people staying out of my way."

She frowned slightly, confused. "Really?"

"Uh, yeah. Despite the last few days and what happened with that shit at the Harvest Festival, I'm not really a showy guy. Or at least I'm not anymore," he mumbled.

Natsumi pursed her lips and looked up at Laxus with a contemplative expression.

"What?" he asked her when she didn't say anything.

"You're kind of an idiot," she said. She grabbed his hand then, startling him enough to end the snarky retort that he'd been about to make. She yanked him back in the direction they'd come, walking at a brisk pace. Taking various side streets, she pulled them closer to the city limits. "If you didn't want to be there, you could've just said so," she scolded, still pulling him along. "You don't have to just go along with things and lie about how you feel," she told him as they approached the forest.

He narrowed his eyes, "That's easier said than done, you know."

She scoffed. He really was an idiot.

"No it's not. Just say what you mean. That's what I do," she said as they approached the forest for the second time in as many days. She slowed her pace, but didn't drop his hand.

"Yeah, well, not everyone's like you," he grumbled.

Rolling her eyes, Natsumi huffed. She didn't really understand the point of blustering and covering up the way you felt. If he wanted something, then why wouldn't he say so? It confused her when people weren't straightforward.

"Well, for the rest of today and tomorrow, you have to always say what you mean. Got it?" she said in an imperious voice. "And no lying about it either!"

She didn't bother to listen the subsequent disgruntled protests. After all, he was the one who said he'd expected something more difficult than paying for food. Served him right.

His complaints died down as she led them further into the forest, leading them not down the circling path up to the bluffs, but further into the heart of the forest, where the path opened up. When the blonde asked where they were going, she uttered one word.

"Fishing!" she exclaimed with a bright smile.

By the time they reached Natsumi's fishing spot, a part of the river that was wide and deep enough to accommodate fish large enough to be "worth it", in the tiny dragon slayer's opinion, the sun was low in the sky, casting heavy shadows through the trees as they walked.

"You sure night fishing is a good idea?" he asked, sounding unsure.

"Of course it is! Happy, Lisanna, and I used to do it loads of times as kids," she reassured. "Why? You scared of the dark?" She couldn't resist teasing him, watching his eyebrows drop as he gave her a dirty look. He made it way too easy.

She only laughed harder when he didn't dignify that with a response. It didn't make goading him any less fun, though.

"I guess you wouldn't be, since you're basically a walking nightlight," she continued, squatting by the water's edge to see if she could see any movement below the surface. "Maybe you don't want to fall in and electrocute yourself?" she wondered aloud. The girl turned her head to look behind her, eager to see the stormy look on his face. It wasn't every day that Laxus let anyone walk all over him like she did. She was determined to milk it for all it was worth.

That was, until a foot shot out and knocked her face-first into the water.

That bastard.

She resurfaced a few seconds later, sputtering and pushing her sopping bangs out of her face. Laxus was laughing his ass off, doubled over while he watched her tread water, glaring up at him and looking like a drowned rat.

"Your face! Oh, God, I can't," he got out between peals of booming laughter. He drew in a huge breath, standing up, only to burst out laughing again.

"Sorry, but you walked right into it. Fuck," he guffawed as she made her way back to the edge to grab a protruding tree root.

"Bastard," she called up him. She stuck out her free hand, glaring all the while. "Now help me out."

"You can't be serious. Like there's any chance in hell of that, Nat. There's no way I'm letting you pull me in there."

Natsumi's face fell. Well, it'd been worth a shot. She heaved a sigh, and pulled herself out, crawling up onto the grassy edge of the riverbank. Just because she could, she shook herself like a dog, sending water flying everywhere. Laxus cursed at her, jumping away. Laughing, she told him that he deserved it.

"Now my clothes are all wet, you jerk," she said as she gathered her hair, squeezing the excess water out of it.

"You're a fucking fire mage. I'm sure you can figure it out."

She glared at him, not amused. "It doesn't work that way! I'm fireproof, yeah, but my clothes aren't! You've seen me fight enough times to know that."

Laxus shrugged. She should've expected retribution for giving him so much shit.

His eyes widened when she took off her vest and her sash, wringing them out and walking over to a nearby tree, draping them over a branch with care. She followed that by unwinding her scarf from her neck and retying it around her hips.

He couldn't stifle the embarrassing squawk that came out of his mouth, however, when she began unraveling the thick white bandages covering her chest.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" he yelled, immediately looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. His face felt warm. This was not a good idea.

She looked at him, not sure what his problem was.

"What's it look like? I'm drying my clothes. The only way to manage the temperature finely enough to not burn them is to do it with my hands."

He was still not looking at her, so the effect of her skeptical look was lost. She shrugged, continuing her unwrapping.

Laxus let his eyes look back her for a fraction of a second and instantly regretted it.

"Stop it, okay! You can't just get naked wherever you want!" He gestured to her violently, still averting his eyes. This couldn't happening. Not to him.

"What's your problem! I don't get naked wherever! Who do think I am, the Popsicle Boy?"

She watched him wave his arms again, which would have funny if she wasn't so annoyed with how he seemed to be freaking out over something so stupid.

"My problem is you getting naked here, period! Explain to me how you think that's even the slightest bit normal?"

"How's it not normal?" Now she was just confused.

The long suffering, tortured groan he let out only confused her more.

"It's not normal because I'm here, idiot!"

"Why would you being here change anything—oh." It all came together then: his refusal to look at her when she was talking to him, the noise he'd made when he first saw her disrobing, the faint pinkish hue on his cheeks that she had failed to notice before in the gathering darkness.

"Yeah, oh," he spit out, turning around and crossing his arms over his chest.

She dropped her arms, letting the tail end of the bandage she'd been in the process of unwrapping hang impotently at her side. Not for the first time today, she wasn't sure what to do.

Laxus sighed.

"Well, congratulations on making this the most awkward thing ever."

Well, it wasn't her fault! He was the one that was being weird about stuff. She just wanted to dry the clothes that _he_ got wet. The whole thing could have been avoided if he hadn't pushed her in the water.

"It's not a big deal, Laxus! Just relax already." All this shouting wasn't worth the effort.

"I'm not relaxing until you have all your clothes back on." He still didn't turn around.

Sadly, Natsumi began to wind the strip of muslin back up, wincing as the cold fabric touched her skin. Stupid Laxus and his hang ups.

"Okay, you can turn back around," she called out as she finished fastening the binding. Slowly, he turned back around, frowning as he noticed she hadn't put her vest back on. He could just deal with it, she thought. No way was she wearing any more wet clothes than she absolutely had to, no matter how big of a fit he threw.

"You're such a weirdo. You're almost as bad as Lucy about this kind of stuff," she remarked.

"Now you really do sound like Fullbuster," he claimed. She balked.

"Don't compare me to him! I was only doing it because I had to!"

"Well you don't seem to realize why it's a big deal. Did no one ever explain this shit to you or something?" he raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her.

There he was again, not explaining what he meant. It was really starting to bug her.

"Explain what, Laxus? Stop being all roundabout and just tell me what you mean!" she exclaimed, crossing her own arms. She didn't want to play this game with him anymore.

Laxus looked like he wanted to die, the redness in his face intensifying in color. Multiple emotions played out across his face, finally settling to a mixture of embarrassment and resignation.

"Explain how you can't just take off your clothes and expect people not to get the wrong idea about what you're doing!" he yelled, bringing a hand to run through messy golden hair.

"What? You mean like sex?" she asked, the innocent look on her face not matching the weight of her question.

This was it, he thought. This is was the retribution for all the shit he'd done.

Luckily, Natsumi didn't seem to expect him to respond as she continued. Not that he found himself able to form any sort of coherent response at the moment.

"I never really understood that. Like, just because you see someone naked doesn't mean you want to have sex with them. I see Lucy naked all the time and it's not a big deal. And Gray, but that's just gross," she rambled. "And I thought I told you this yesterday. You didn't seem like you cared, then."

He groaned. "That was then! Excuse me if I didn't anticipate you stripping in front of me the very next day! Give a guy some credit. Not everyone's like you."

"So you were lying?" She said, angry.

"No, I wasn't fucking lying. You just surprised me," he palmed his face and sighed.

"Well if you weren't lying about being attracted to me, why are you freaking out?"

"I'm freaking out _because_ I'm attracted to you, idiot!"

"But...why?"

"Because you fucking make me nervous, alright?"

"Macao and Wakaba used to say that you'd seen way more naked women than anyone at the guild, though…" she tilted her head, confused as to why he'd make such a fuss about her when he'd clearly been around.

Clearly, Laxus didn't agree. "That's not the point! They weren't you and you aren't them! It's different, okay?"

"How is it different?"

"Uh, because I actually care about you? Look, yeah, I've been with a lot of girls, but that was a long time ago. Getting kicked out by Gramps changed a lot of things. Calmed me the fuck down, for one. Put some things in perspective. And after that, I never really wanted to get involved with anyone else when I felt the way I did about you. So cut me some slack, alright? I'm not used to actually giving a fuck."

"So…you're freaking out because you're attracted to me?"

"YES," he yelled, completely exasperated. "That's literally what I just said. God, I know rocks less dense than you. I don't know how I could make it any clearer."

She put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at the man before her.

"Well, sorry! I don't know how any of this works!" she retorted.

"And that's the unfair part," he laughed, a harsh sound as he scrubbed his hands through his hair. "You don't even know or seem to care about the affect you have on people sometimes. And it's fucking terrifying that you have the power to mess me up like that."

A flood of warmth shot through her at that. She hadn't expected that from him. Hadn't expected him to say that she had such a great effect on him. He'd said he was attracted to her, but she hadn't taken him seriously. For him to say as much was shocking, and her heart sped up when she replayed his admission again in her head.

She walked toward him then. Approaching slowly, so as not to spook him, she reached out a hand and grabbed his coat. He watched her cautiously, but made no move to back away or shake her off. Natsumi smiled at that, and decided to push her luck.

The small girl wound her arms around Laxus's waist, embracing him, head pressed up against his chest. She heard his sharp inhale at her actions, felt his heart rate speed up beneath his skin. It felt nice to be so close to him. She hadn't done so since the very public embrace they'd shared in front of the guild, and she suddenly wish she'd used her time more wisely since then. He was warmer than she expected, since she usually found most other people cool in comparison to her own increased body temperature.

Natsumi snuggled closer to him, inhaling his sandalwood scent. It flooded her senses, making her own pulse quicken as that unmistakable, but unidentifiable musk that clung to him like a second skin, reached her.

Wordlessly, he wrapped his arms around the her. In a rare moment of reflection, Natsumi realized she probably hadn't been fair to him. She'd admonished him for disguising his feelings and beating around the bush when she'd done as much herself. She'd told him she'd liked him, but never bothered to tell him the whole truth; never bothered to examine her feelings until she'd been confronted by them. He'd never asked her to reciprocate his feelings, either, but here he was, still hanging around and doing whatever she wanted just for her.

She smiled again. As weird and inscrutable as he was, he was pretty dorky.  
It was high time she lived up to her own demands.

Laxus felt her push slightly against his arms, and he loosened his grip, but didn't let go of her shoulders. She leaned back to look at the man above her, a determined glint in her eyes.

"You're still doing what I say, right? No questions asked?"

At this point, Laxus was so past the point of trying to keep up with the girl that he just nodded. This was exhausting.

She didn't smile like he'd expected, only continued to look up at him with a focus usually only seen from her in battle.

Despite her odd behavior, he wasn't prepared for what she said next.

"Kiss me, then."

His eyes widened and he tensed, completely thrown. He searched her face for evidence that she didn't know what she was asking, that she didn't know what she was asking _him_. Laxus may have loved the girl in his arms to hell and back, but he'd be damned if he was going to kiss her and find out later that she hadn't really wanted it.

He found nothing to indicate any evidence of uncertainty in her face. Natsumi only continued to gaze at him with a measured, confident look. Her obsidian eyes stared into his, waiting for him to do what she asked of him.

And he wasn't strong enough to not take what she was offering.

Natsumi could see when desire won out over indecision, the wavering look in his eyes giving way to the same intensity that made her legs feel more liquid than muscle and bone. His hands moved from her shoulders to cup her face, and she could feel the race of his heart through the pads of his fingers, making her own face feel warm. The lightning mage leaned closer, then stopped, his eyebrows drawing together. Natsumi's stomach dropped, wondering if she had done something wrong. He'd all but said he'd wanted to kiss her; surely he hadn't changed his mind?

She squeaked when he bent down and grabbed her by the thighs, hauling her up. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, not wanting to fall backwards. She grabbed onto the shoulders of his coat, eyes wide as she came face to face with the blonde.

He smirked at her surprised, flushed expression.

"You're too fucking short, Nat," he said, before leaning forward and bringing their lips together.

Too shocked to move, Natsumi remained frozen for several seconds. She felt rather than saw Laxus smile into their kiss, and his hand crept from his hold on her thigh to the side of her face, thumb coming to stroke the side it gently.

She sighed gently, her eyes drifting shut, responding to him.

His mouth was soft and warm under hers, and when he parted his lips, taking her bottom lip between his, she let him. Natsumi felt lightheaded. She had thought she'd been prepared for what kissing was supposed to feel like, but with her heart seeming to be pounding between her ears and her whole body tingling, she found herself feeling self-conscious for the first time. She regretted never listening to Mira and Cana's conversations about boys when they were younger. Laxus had probably kissed a ton of people, all of them probably loads better at this than she was.

Nervous, she dug her fingers into the soft fur of his coat, pushing a bit harder into the kiss. Laxus responded by moving his other arm to the small of her back, tangling in the ends of her hair. She gasped, accidentally breaking the kiss. Embarrassed, she blushed harder, looking away.

Laxus laughed, and she could feel the deep rumbling sound vibrate from his chest. She felt pressure from the hand touching her face, turning it back to face him. He lightly brushed his lips against hers, still smiling.

"Relax," he whispered against her mouth, and her head swam. "I've got you, alright?" he promised, resting their foreheads together.

His words calmed Natsumi's nerves, and she loosened her grip on his coat, bringing one of her hands to play with the short hairs on the back of his neck. The rumbling noise he made in response made her giggle, and feeling bold, she leaned back in to kiss him again. She didn't know what she was doing, but there was something heady about the feeling of their mouths pressed together, she thought. She parted her lips like he'd done before, but pulled his bottom lip into her mouth, sucking on it gently. Her breath caught when his arms suddenly tightened around her and the hand on her back suddenly came up to thread in the hair at the back of her neck.

Encouraged, she slid both hands up into his hair, tugging on it, and his answering groan traveled straight to her stomach. He kissed her back harder, and she squeezed her legs tighter around him, not wanting to fall off and stop the tingly feeling in her body that touching him elicited. Her breath came in short pants, the air between them humid in the descending darkness of the forest. Blood roaring in her ears, she did the one thing she remembered Cana talking about when it came to kissing boys.

As Laxus locked their lips together again, she tilted her head and flicked her tongue out against his lips, and he gasped, opening his mouth and touching his tongue against the tip of hers.

It was her turn to gasp as he suddenly took control of the kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue. She could only hold herself against him, letting him massage her tongue with his as her fingers took on missions of their own, stroking from his neck to the bottom of the scar that decorated his face because of her.

Laxus groaned again, running a hand up and down her side, slowing the kiss. After several more seconds of smaller, gentler kisses, he pulled away. Both were breathing heavily, and Natsumi felt satisfied to see a pinkish hue dusting the cheeks of the older dragon slayer. They stared at each other for a long, silent moment, catching their breaths. When she began to feel her heartbeat slow back to its original pace, she heard him take a deep breath.

"Jesus," he said, the intense stare he'd given her when she'd first told him to kiss her still present.

She laughed, a small, nervous thing.

"Seriously, are you sure you weren't lying when you said you'd never thought about this stuff?" he laughed, but the smile on his face was serene.

"Shut up," she commanded without heat, still feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Is that an order?" he teased, winking at her.

She stuck her tongue out at him, then squawked when he leaned in to nip at it.

"Yes, that's an order," Natsumi said. "And also, put me down."

The blonde laughed, but otherwise obeyed. When her feet were firmly on the ground and thankfully more stable than she'd thought they'd be, she looked back up at him. He really was pretty, she thought. Even in the darkness, he seemed to glow. Perhaps it had to do with the element he commanded, but she suspected that it had more to do with the dazzling smile he was giving her. She almost felt guilty for what she was about to do next.

The small girl closed the small distance between them once more, pressing her head against his chest. Before his arms came around her again, however, she pushed out hard, sending him stumbling away.

And into the river.

He hit the water with an enormous splash, but not before managing to utter a belligerent 'Fuck!' before he went down. It was Natsumi's turn to laugh as he popped out of the water, being tall enough to stand up straight. Laxus's hair was plastered to his forehead, dripping over his face. His coat floated comically behind him, the fur trim completely soaked through.

"What the fuck, Nat? This thing isn't supposed to get wet!" he shouted at her, holding up one soggy sleeve and letting it drop with a loud _plunk_.

"Now we're even!" she told him, laughing at her success at pulling one over on him.

Her laughter died away as the sopping wet fabric of his coat hit her in the face.

"Hey!" she yelped, flailing to try to extricate herself from the mountain of dark fabric, made heavier by the weight of the water.

"Serves you right. Go hang it by your stuff," he told her.

Natsumi huffed at him as she managed to gather the coat into a bundle. "Hang up your gangster coat yourself. I'm the one giving the orders for today!" she complained, but did it anyway.

"Actually, hang this up, too," he called. She turned and balked when he pulled the sleeveless shirt he was wearing over his head. He balled it up and tossed it to her. The pink-haired dragon slayer barely had the presence of mind to catch it.

"Now who's the one stripping?!" she grumbled, throwing it on top of where she'd hung the coat. If they didn't dry right, then it wasn't her responsibility.

He laughed at her, pushing his hair out of his face. "What are you going to do about it, Pinky?" he taunted her from the water, making no move to get out.

"Besides take off my clothes?" she said, making a threatening move to where her bindings were fastened.

He glared at her. "Just get in here," he said, splashing at her.

She was disappointed when he caught her in her attempt to cannonball on top of him. However, when he gathered her close and kissed her, she figured she could let it slide.

* * *

 **Note** **:** And there you have it! The kiss we've all been dying for. At least, the kiss that I was dying to write.

It's honestly just so fun to write Laxus in situations that make him deeply uncomfortable. I find it hilarious that Natsumi is just so comfortable with herself and others, and Laxus is definitely one of those people who equates nudity with sexuality. That dynamic of interaction had me cackling the entire time, especially as an extension of the flashback Nat had in a previous chapter.

Anyway, feel free to drop a review and tell me what you thought!

 **Next Chapter Preview:** The Gospel According to Laxus Dreyar

 _She wondered why he wasn't shirtless more often._


	13. The Gospel According to Laxus Dreyar

**AN:** So I've changed the rating on this story to M. I'm sorry if that freaks some of you out and you stop reading, but with the way this story is going, the rating shift is kind of unavoidable. I hope you all stay with me regardless, but if you decide to stop, that's obviously your prerogative.

As always, your reviews and kind words have been an absolute joy to read. I promise to try my best to keep you entertained as the story develops. Last time, we got the kiss that was 11 chapters in the making (yeesh), and this time around, we'll get the down-low from the human power generator himself.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **The Gospel According to Laxus Dreyar**

Neither of them were sure how late it was when they decided to head back to town, only that the darkness was so complete that Natsumi had to summon a flame in one hand so Laxus could see. The blonde hadn't even responded to the small girl's taunting about 'real dragon slayers being able to see in the dark,' and she took that as evidence that Laxus was well and truly in a good mood. She decided it was fun to joke around with him when he wasn't so busy retorting to everything she said.

Looking up at him, she also admired how the glow of the firelight bathed his figure. His hair, still damp from his impromptu dip in the river, fell limply on his forehead and around his ears, making him look younger than his twenty-three years, softening the hard angles that usually defined him. He hadn't bothered to put his shirt back on, claiming that even if it was summer, it was still too fucking cold to put on wet clothes. Instead, he carried the bundle that was his coat and shirt under one of his arms. Natsumi sympathized, even if she was jealous that she wasn't also allowed to walk around topless. Although, she suspected that he was mostly just showing off. Not that she was complaining. She wondered why he wasn't shirtless more often.

She also carried her vest and her sandals in her free hand, not wanting to pass up the chance to go barefoot. Despite it still being wet, her scarf still hung limply around her waist.

As they made their way down the path, a thought occurred to Natsumi.

"Hey, Laxus?"

"Mm?"

"We came out here to avoid those people staring, right?" she asked, moving her conjured flame up so she could better see his face.

He hesitantly nodded the affirmative, raising an eyebrow.

"Why? Like, why does it bother you? They're just people. I mean, I get stared at sometimes, but that's just because there was this one time Happy and I went to a café when I had a cold and I sneezed and blew out all the windows and it was a huge—"

Laxus sighed, his countenance darkening as he interrupted her.

"It just bothers me because it reminds me of stuff I'd rather everyone forget," he admitted, looking guilty.

"Like…the Harvest Festival?" she offered, feeling guilty herself for bringing it up.

"Yeah," he said, sighing again. "Before that happened, I ate that shit up. I was so arrogant about it. I was so sure that I was the best fucking thing to ever happen to Fairy Tail, like it was my world and you were all just living in it." He laughed then, a sharp sound that was nothing like the joyous laughter from when he'd pushed her into the river.

"I was such an asshole. When people stared I knew that they respected me, looked up to me. But after the Parade…" he trailed off, looking into the darkness ahead of them, made complete by the absence of starlight through the thick canopy above. Natsumi looked on quietly, giving him time to gather his thoughts.

"It just gave me a lot of time to mellow the fuck out. I wandered around for a long time, taking odd jobs and stuff, just sorting out my shit. I thought a lot about what happened with you and Gajeel, and I felt so guilty. I said so much shit that I didn't mean to you, and I wished I could take it back. But mostly I just _missed_ it, you know? I'd taken it all for granted and then thrown it all away like it didn't mean anything to me. I missed Gramps yelling at everyone and I missed Erza and Mira and I missed you trying to pick fights with everyone that walked through the damn door," he laughed again, softer.

"And then Tenrou Island happened," he went on, both of their expressions darkening at the memory of the failed S-Class Trials. "It's so fucked up, but I was actually glad at the beginning. I was so surprised to see everyone there, and I didn't even think about it before I just…joined in. I knew Gramps was never going to let me back, but I thought that I owed it to myself and to all of you to do what I could."

"Well, if it hadn't been for you, Hades would have taken us all out," she added. "But I don't think I ever thanked you for letting me have him in the end."

"You had more right to him than I did," he argued. After all, she'd been the one wearing the emblem, not him. She had deserved to end that fucker more than he ever did.

"But anyway," he said before she could say anything to the contrary, "like I said, I knew I wasn't going to suddenly be welcome just because I came through. But it was nice just seeing everyone again. And then we all got swept up in the shitstorm sweepstakes that was Acnologia and I was so pissed off. Not even because of him, but at myself for letting my life go the way it did and for never saying anything to you and just…for everything."

"When we woke up, it was such a relief, but it also sucked because it was just more of the same. The thought of wandering around the country like I had been killed me, so I came back, got a place on the edge of town just so I could feel like I was at least a little closer to everything that I cared about. And then Guildarts reinstated me and it was like the world opened up again. I was determined to do better, to _be_ better, but every time anyone looked at me, it was like they were expecting me to go off the rails again. It sucked to be treated like some sort of feral animal. Even after I helped us win the Games and take down the dragons, it still feels like people are just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I had nightmares about it…about hurting everyone, hurting you. And I proved everyone's suspicions right when I pulled that shit the other day. It just…sucks to realize that I haven't changed as much as I thought I had," he seemed to shrink as he finished.

It broke Natsumi's heart to hear how much he'd suffered. She'd missed him, remembered wishing Gramps to reconsider when he'd sent Laxus away. She'd even missed Laxus specifically, even though they'd fought in what both had initially thought was going to be death match. There'd been no denying that there was a Laxus-shaped hole in the guild that no one else could ever fill. But she'd had everyone around her to help with the loss. She'd had Happy and Lucy the rest of the team, including Wendy, when she'd come into their lives.

But Laxus had been alone, without even the Thunder Legion to follow him.

She jumped him, hugging him viciously, only just remembering to snuff out the flame in her hand before grabbing him.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled into his skin, as if she could take the pain of his year in exile away with the force of her embrace.

He hugged her back, burying his face in her hair, even if he did have to bend his knees slightly to do so.

"It's not like it was your fault," he said. "I'm the one who acted like an ass. Gramps was right to do what he did. I just wish I was better at living up to who I thought I was."

"But if I hadn't misunderstood…if I'd listened to what you had to say, then you would have never had reason to fight me," she argued. She'd only wanted to fight him, not cause him actual pain.

"Please," he laughed, "you know it's my fault. I'm the one who spent the last few years actively avoiding how I felt. I gave you a complex about it, and then thought me telling you how I felt in the heat of the moment would make it suddenly okay. I knew you wouldn't respond well, but I did it anyway. It was just one fucking stupid decision after another, but at that point, I was so tired of floundering about what to do to give you what you wanted from me."

"And so I decided it was worth whatever shit the Old Man was going to put me through to show you that I was serious. That I actually did care about you instead of just thinking you were some hot chick that couldn't hack it as a mage."

She started to protest again, to apologize once more, but he cut her off.

"So what I'm saying is that I know I should have handled it better, and I regret that, but I'm also glad that I did it, since it ended up working out for the best."

Natsumi jerked away from him. "But Fairy Tail's your family! How could it ever be worth it when you just said—"

He cut her off with a kiss. Pulling away, he looked into her eyes. He needed her to understand him on this one.

"You understanding what I had to say to you was more important than what the rest of the guild or Magnolia or whoever the fuck thought of me. And that's not your fault. It just means I love you."

He smiled, then, brilliant even in near-pitch darkness.

"Besides, you would've never understood unless it was beaten into you. Not that I haven't had to repeat myself at least a dozen times since then…"

Natsumi snorted, batting him on the side of the head.

"Sorry that I don't know how to act around someone coming around and telling me they love me all of a sudden," she rolled her eyes.

Laxus pulled himself back up to his full height, once again towering over her. He nudged her back around, gesturing for them to start down the path again.

"You could have fooled me. You're actually pretty good with your tongue, you know" he said, his tone so casual he could have been remarking about the balmy weather.

She stopped once again to glare.

"We're never going to make it back to town tonight if you keep stopping, Nat," he told her.

"I know," she said, "but what if I want to act different? What if I want to be…like I was today? Because I think," she took in a deep breath, facing him once more. "I think I might love you, too." She sputtered out, suddenly nervous, which seemed strange to her, since she already knew how he felt. Why should she be nervous?

Laxus sighed, kneeling down in front of her so he could see her better.

"Natsumi," he breathed out her full name, "you don't have to tell me that, you know. If you aren't sure, I mean. I know you care about me, and that's enough for me right now. Just because I unloaded all my baggage on you doesn't mean you owe me anything. I need you to understand that, alright? Plus, it's not like I've done anything to earn it anyway."

Rolling her eyes suddenly wasn't extreme enough reaction. She leaned her head back, groaning. For as much as he accused her of having a thick skull, he could be just as stubborn.

"You don't understand," she told him, talking in a voice she used to use on Romeo when he was small. "I missed you when you were gone. I was so, so happy when you came to Tenrou and saved my ass, and I was even happier when you got to come back to all of us. No one else could make up for you being gone. I guess I've always…noticed you in a way that I never did with anyone else. And when you let me hurt you a few weeks ago, I couldn't understand why you'd let anyone do that. Lucy had to kick me out the door to get me to take a job because I just wanted to stay in bed. I knew you'd let me hurt you, but I was the one who kept at it, and I couldn't stand it. And when I was on my mission I…I…" she trailed off, losing her nerve. She cursed this stupid man for making her embarrassed when she should have just come out and said it.

"You what?" he prompted, his voice gentle as he put a hand to her face, rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

"I dreamed of you. I dreamed that we were sitting together, just the two of us, and you smiled just for me. It was so real… and I was sad when I woke up because I didn't understand you and thought that it would only ever be a dream, and that was the worst part. When I finally admitted that I cared about you, I thought it didn't even matter because you didn't love me like I needed you to" she spoke quickly now, afraid if she didn't get all the words out as quickly as possible, he'd interrupt and she'd never get another chance to really tell him how she'd felt all the time they'd been apart.

"And when you were in front of me explaining, it all sort of came over me at once; how badly we'd misunderstood each other and how you were telling me all the things that I told myself you never would. I couldn't hold it in and I just started crying…" she trailed off, remembering the feeling of being so relieved and so guilty that her knees had failed her and she'd fallen into him.

She leaned over him then, wrapping her arms around him, face pressed in tight to the side of his neck. Laxus completed the embrace when he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing comforting circles into her back.

"I'm not good at stuff like this, I don't think," she said, and he rumbled out a laugh beneath her. "But I don't know how else I could explain those feelings. No one else has made even think about stuff like that, and you made me feel all of it at once."

She pressed her lips against the side of his neck shyly, comforted by the thrum of the steady pulse beneath his skin.

"So I'm not saying it because I feel like I have to or something," she said against his skin.

"I do love you. Sorry for making you wait."

Laxus only laughed and held her tighter against him.

"Laxus?"

"Yeah?"

She shifted, nervous again. "You said you had nightmares about hurting me."

He stiffened, waiting for her to continue.

"Do you still have them?"

Relaxing, he buried his face in her wet hair. "Last night, I slept like a baby. That hasn't happened since before the Harvest Festival."

Judging from the force of her subsequent kiss, he guess that that'd been the right answer. He smiled against the softness of her mouth.

* * *

Neither was sure what time it was when they reached the door to Natsumi and Lucy's apartment. He'd insisted on walking with her home, and when she'd indignantly stated that she'd taken care of herself plenty over the years, he told her to shut up and that maybe he didn't feel like saying goodbye just yet. She hadn't been able to argue after that. It wasn't like she wasn't also reluctant to go.

The windows of Lucy's bedroom were dark, indicating that the blonde celestial mage had gone to bed. Natsumi blinked. Lucy was a night owl, preferring to work on her manuscripts well into the night instead of turning in early. If even Lucy was asleep, it really must be late. That thought, however, didn't make her any more eager to part from Laxus, even if she could feel her eyelids getting increasingly heavy.

In an effort to stall, she turned to him, smiling at how the warm light of the street lamps made him look almost gilded. His hair still flopped boyishly across his forehead and around his ears, having mostly dried on the hike back into town. Natsumi was a bit jealous, since her own thick mane still fell in damp waves down her back.

"I still can't believe you knew where I lived," she said, remembering his sudden appearance at her doorstep the day before. They'd essentially grown up together, but she'd only been living with Lucy for the past year and half—plus the seven they spent in stasis, if that counted—and Laxus had never seemed like the type to care about keeping up with the living arrangements of guild mates.

He smiled. "Being the Master's grandson has its perks. He keeps guild records in his desk."

"Stalker."

He glared at her, but it was without any real heat. "Fuck off. It's not like I was doing anything weird. I was holding up my promise to apologize to your stupid cat. If you'd told me to take a hike, I would have listened. I can be an asshole, but I'm not a creep."

"I know, I know," she laughed, "I was only curious."

The small dragon slayer barely managed the rest of her sentence before a huge yawn overtook her, fangs glittering in the low light.

"I think that means it's time for me to go, Nat." Admittedly, he didn't want to, but it really was late, and even if he was one of Fairy Tail's strongest, he didn't want to inadvertently wake up Natsumi's roommate and be on the receiving end of one of her legendary Lucy Kicks. Those fuckers looked like they hurt, and he'd also just gotten back in everyone's good graces. There wasn't any need for them to know that he'd just spent the better part of the night making out in the river with their pride and joy.

"But 'm not sleepy," she claimed, before yawning again.

After a look from Laxus, she sighed. "Okay, maybe I am. But still…" She rubbed at her eyes, trying to wake herself up.

"I know." And he did. If he had his way, he would've steered them toward his place, but he wasn't about to rush anything with her when she'd only just admitted her feelings. "But I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

She nodded, still looking put out. He bent down, catching her pout in a chaste kiss.

"Does Lucy lock the door?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Probably. But I don't have a key. I usually just go in through her window."

He looked up at the second story window she indicated, not sure why he ever bothered to be surprised by anything that came out of her mouth.

"And she's okay with that?" Somehow he couldn't imagine someone as uptight as her roommate being alright with the near constant invasion of privacy that implied.

She shrugged again. "I guess she's just used to it. I mean, I only moved in officially because I was always over and she said that if I was sleeping there and eating her food, I should help with rent."

"So she really did take you in like a stray." He ignored her sharp, sleepy look at that. "She's a lot nicer than I gave her credit for. Blondie must have the patience of a saint to put up with that shit all the time."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She waved her hand at him. Laxus briefly wondered if she'd be able to make the usual jump to the open window, she looked so dead on her feet. If she couldn't, she'd have nowhere to sleep and he'd have no choice but to take her back to his place…

He crushed the thought before it could go anywhere dangerous.

"Do you need a boost to the window?" He offered, distracting himself from the unsafe path his mind had begun to wander down.

She shook her head in the negative. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks, though."

Before he could bid her the goodnight, however, she leaned into him, burrowing her face into the fabric of the shirt he'd slipped on as they'd approached the city. He wrapped his arms around her, stroking the path of her slightly damp hair as it travelled between her shoulders and down her back. As his hand worked, she rubbed her face against him, following it up with a long inhale.

Did she just…smell him?

"Mmmmmm," she mewled out, not noticing the shocked look decorating his face. "You smell good." And damn it if the breathy way she said it didn't go straight to his dick. He mentally cursed himself.

"You shirt smells like the river, but your skin still smells like you," she inhaled again, pressing harder into him. He reached down to grab around her ribcage, the lowest he could reach comfortably, to stop her from coming any closer. The last thing he needed was her noticing the effect her words were having on him; who knows what the fuck she'd do after that. However, she seemed completely oblivious to his attempts to maintain distance because she just _kept fucking talking_.

"You smell like soap and sandalwood." He could feel the warm puffs of her breath as she talked against his chest, not looking at him. "But there's something else, too." She yawned again, even warmer against him. "I can't tell what it is, but it makes me feel all tingly inside, like I just swallowed a flame, but warmer." Natsumi punctuated this by attempting to snuggle closer, testing his hold on her.

Holy fucking hell this was not a good situation.

He was not ready to deal with an exhausted, naïve Natsumi that was in the mood to overshare about how much he turned her on. Laxus wasn't even sure she knew what she was saying at this point, on multiple counts, and he wasn't going to stick around to find out.

Gently pushing the girl in front of him away, he bent down to brush his lips against her forehead, making sure to put more distance between their hips.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he promised her, pulling back.

"Mmkay," she smiled blearily up at him. He gently brushed her hair out of her face, then nodded up at the window.

"Up you go, Nat."

Apparently too tired to sass him again, she just nodded, turning to get a walking start before jumping up and grabbing the windowsill like a monkey, pulling herself up and through the open window. For being as tired as she was, she managed to make it look graceful, and he marveled again at the walking contradiction that was Natsumi Dragneel: a near-textbook athlete when it mattered, yet otherwise a walking wrecking ball.

The girl emerged from the dark space of the window half a second later, looking down to wave at him. He returned the wave with a brief raise of his hand, and with a smile, she closed the window with a harsh slam.

Of course, he thought, wincing as the sound cut through the air.

She was ridiculous. And oblivious. And kind of amazing.

And dangerous, he added, remembering the sound of her breathy voice as she told him she liked how he smelled.

The lightning mage turned to head down the dimly lit street, heading down the familiar route to his own place. He was not looking forward to the cold shower that awaited him.

* * *

Natsumi was dead tired when she stumbled into Lucy's room. She blinked in the darkness of the room, letting her eyes adjust. She looked over to the bed, seeing the covers move in time with the breathing of the lump that was her roommate. Stepping closer, she saw Happy curled up on the pillow beside Lucy's head. Smiling to herself, she decided that if Happy was allowed to sleep in Lucy's bed, then it qualified as a sleepover. She walked over, kicking off her sandals and unwinding her scarf, sitting it on the bedside table with care.

She lifted the duvet, sliding under it, grateful for the soft mattress beneath her rather than the taught fabric of the hammock in her own room. Laying her head on the pillow beside Happy, she sighed happily.

"Natsumi?" the tiny Exceed's voice was barely a whisper.

"Hmm?"

Happy got up from the ball he'd been curled up in and moved closer to Natsumi, snuggling into her neck.

"Did you have fun?"

She reached up to stroke his fur, soft beneath her fingers. He'd must've bathed tonight.

"Yeah, buddy, I did."

"That's good."

They fell silent then. Before she dozed off, however, she remembered something.

"Hey, Happy?" she asked, trying to keep her voice down so as not to disturb Lucy, who slept soundly on the other side of the bed.

The cat wiggled around to face her.

"Yeah?"

"You weren't lonely today, were you?"

He brought a paw up to his mouth to cover his giggles, mindful of Lucy's wrath should she wake up.

"Not really. Want to know why?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I do."

"Because you're happy. I like it when you're happy, even if I'm not with you. Even if we're separated, we're still family and I know you'll always come back to me. Things are changing, right? But that doesn't mean we'll ever stop being friends. You're my favorite person in the world, and I know you won't replace me. I'm too cute!"

She laughed, even though they were tears gathering in her eyes. Happy shushed her quietly, trying to stop her from shaking the bed.

"You're right, buddy. I'm lucky to have you."

"Aye, sir."

As Natsumi, comforted by the words of her best friend, finally gave in the fight against her exhaustion, an idea formed in her mind. It was hazy with the fog of sleep, but it was an idea all the same.

She couldn't wait until tomorrow.

* * *

 **Note:** Poor Laxus. My precious, precious baby Laxus, whatever am I going to do with you? Guy's got it rough-though something tells me he kind of likes it, especially since he knows that Nat _loooves_ him. I won't even lie, I wrote that part with gross anime heart eyes.

What are your thoughts? Like it? Hate it? Freaked out by it? In any case, let me know in a review!

 **Next Chapter Preview:** You Want to do What with Who, Where?

 _"I just got nervous, okay?! I don't know how to just…come out and ask for that!"_

 _Lucy sighed. "Who are you and what have you done with Natsumi? Why are afraid of just saying whatever pops into your head?"_

 _Natsumi raised her arms, pacing around the room. "Because this is different! It's not something that I ever thought I'd ask Laxus, of all people."_


	14. You Want to do What with Who, Where?

**AN:** It just keeps trundling along! As usual, I love you all to bits for how nice you keep being. Your compliments and kind words are more than I could have ever asked for or expected and I hope you know just how much you're all appreciated.

That said, last time we got a love confession, an inside look at how *ahem* frustrated poor Laxus is, and a glimpse of a nefarious plan on Natsumi's part. Now, we'll see just what that plan entails, as well as its consequences. Take a seat, 'cause this one's a long one.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **You Want to do What With Who, Where?**

"Nat, you got my pillowcases all dirty! Wake up!" The shrill sound of Lucy's yelling woke Natsumi from her slumber, startling her that she flew out of the bed, landing in a fighting stance to take on would-be assailants.

Noticing there was no one in the room but her blonde roommate and Happy, she relaxed, painting a cheerful smile on her face.

"Mornin', Luce!"

"Don't you 'Luce' me, Natsumi! You got dirt all over these! What the hell were you doing last night?"

Natsumi blinked. Sensing danger, Happy wordlessly tiptoed out of Lucy's room, hoping that the blonde wouldn't notice his escape.

"I got thrown in the river."

"And you didn't think to shower after you came home?" Lucy was not amused as she stripped the formerly white pillowcases and sheets off the bed with a long-suffering sigh.

"I was tired," the dragon slayer defended, "and you guys were cuddling when I got back, so I thought I'd just sleep here like the old days!"

Lucy only stared at her, glowering.

"If it makes you feel any better, it was Laxus's fault. But I got revenge, so it's fine."

"Tell that to my pillowcases!" The celestial mage balled up one of the soiled linens and threw it at Natsumi, who deftly dodged.

This led to fifteen minutes of Lucy attempting to strangle her friend with her dirty pillowcases, shouting all the while about showing her true revenge.

When Lucy finally gave up, panting, hands on knees, Natsumi remembered the idea that had come to her just before she fell asleep the night before.

"Hey Lucy? Will you help me with my hair?"

That snapped Lucy out of her spell of exhaustion. "What? Since when does Natsumi Dragneel care about her hair?"

The shorter girl glared at her friend's confusion. "I don't! I just always miss spots in the back when I brush it myself," she ignored her friend's 'when you remember to brush it at all' and continued, "and you always do a better job. So you'll help me, right?" She smiled as wide as she could, hoping her friend wouldn't ask too many questions.

Unfortunately, she wasn't quite that lucky.

Lucy sighed, "Fine, I'll help you. But!" she cut off Natsumi's celebratory cheer. "Does this have anything to do with how you were out for half the night with a certain S-Class Mage?"

Natsumi sputtered. "No! Stop being weird, Lucy!"

Lucy's sly look only grew more pronounced, knowing her friend was lying through her teeth. Something big must have happened to make her friend interested in her appearance for once in her life. She itched to know, but something told her it'd come out on its own time if she played along.

"Okay, calm down," she relented. "But I'm not touching you with a ten foot pole until you shower. Go get started and I'll help you afterwards."

She was surprised when the dragon slayer obeyed her, shouting out a cheerful "Aye, sir!" as she flew out of the room, returning seconds later with an armful of clean clothes and disappearing into Lucy's bathroom in a whirlwind. Her excitement made Lucy smile, and she didn't bother scolding her for not using the main bathroom instead.

Checking the kitchen to make sure Happy wasn't in the middle of irreparable destruction and finding him quietly munching on a fish fillet on the kitchen counter, she decided there were probably worse things and set about preparing her vanity.

Several minutes later, Natsumi emerged from the bathroom in a towel, enthusiastically plopping herself on the vanity stool in front of Lucy.

"You could have at least wrung out your hair beforehand," Lucy complained in a flat voice. "Explain to me again why you can't dry your own hair?"

The small girl huffed. "I control fire, not hot air!"

"Could've fooled me," the blonde flicked Natsumi's ear, earning a surprised yelp.

"I don't usually care about my hair, but that doesn't mean I want to light it on fire!"

"Yeah, she did that once and Mira had to cut it really short! She looked like a boy," Happy chimed in, flying into the room to observe the two girls from his perch on Lucy's dresser.

Starting her hair dryer, Lucy laughed. "You'd think that you'd like that better. Short hair is easier to manage, after all."

Her friend shrugged as Lucy worked. "I've always liked it long, though. Don't know why, I just do."

"Well, it _is_ pretty. It'd be better if you took care of it, though."

The dragon slayer pouted.

"So are you going to tell me why you asked for me help or not?" Lucy said after she'd dried Natsumi's hair, now gently running a brush through the cotton candy-colored locks.

Happy bounced off the end of Lucy's bed, walking up and tugging one of the blonde's pajama bottoms. "I bet it's because of Laxus!"

"Of course it's because of Laxus!" Lucy shook Happy off irritably. "But _why_ , specifically?"

Natsumi crossed her arms in front of her, locking eyes with Lucy through the mirror.

"Can't a girl just want to look nice for once?"

"No!" Lucy and Happy chorused.

"Bastards," Natsumi grumbled, glaring at the smug duo behind her.

Sensing she'd been defeated, the pink-haired girl sighed as Lucy gently parted a single section of hair by her ear, plaiting it in a long braid. "I had an idea last night. It might not work, but I'd figured I'd try anyway. Looking nice was just a bonus, really."

The blonde giggled, tying off the braid. Finished, the celestial mage stepped back and admired her work, pleased with the shiny pink waves that hung down her friend's back. If her friend did this every day, Laxus really would be the subject of envy for a lot of people. Natsumi was naturally pretty, but with her personality and devil-may-care attitude, it was easy to get swept away in the storm that was the girl herself and not notice. It was probably a good thing. Natsumi probably wouldn't have the attention span to keep this up—or learn to do it herself. Plus, she probably wouldn't know how to deal with all the extra male attention. Knowing her, though, she'd probably just misunderstand and threaten them all.

"As someone who's used the tactic many times in the past, I can definitely say that looking good can get you very far," she said sagely, sure that Natsumi would have no problems getting whatever she wanted out of Laxus today, especially since the man already seemed enamored by her in his own way.

"That's why I asked you." Natsumi's face grew rosy, feeling decidedly out of her element.

"Well maybe if you actually tell me what you're planning, I can help you with more than braiding your hair." Lucy began to rummage through her own dresser, searching for something suitable to wear to the guild.

"How are you going to help Natsumi when you've never had a boyfriend, Lucy?" Happy's voice was dripping with innocence. It didn't stop Lucy from picking him up and tossing him out of the room, though. Yelling about how stupid cats should learn how to keep their mouths shut, she slammed the door behind him.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy turned back to Natsumi, who was still sitting at the vanity, absentmindedly twirling her braid between her fingers. She smiled at her friend. For as much grief as the dragon slayer gave her, she was also the best friend she'd ever had. If it would help her be happy, then she'd do just about anything.

"Well? How about it?" she prompted Natsumi with an encouraging nod.

Relenting, Natsumi began explaining her plan as the two got dressed for the day.

Outside, with a pointed ear pressed up against the door, Happy giggled.

* * *

By the time everyone was dressed and ready, with Lucy taking the time to make sure her skirt was wrinkle-free and her keys were securely attached to her belt, Natsumi was chomping at the bit to leave. Once she got the okay from the blonde, she rushed to the door, throwing it open with more force than necessary. It struck the wall, but the celestial mage's subsequent admonishment fell on deaf ears as Natsumi's eyes locked on the person standing across the way, leaning on the retaining wall that stood between the street and the river.

"Laxus! Hey!" the dragon slayer rushed over to him, her companions forgotten behind her as they followed at a much more sedate pace.

He was ready when she threw herself on him, wrapping his arms around her as they collided.

"Hey, Nat," he greeted her with a kiss on the forehead. Taking in her beaming expression, her apparent happiness at seeing him waiting for her, he couldn't help but smile back.

"So you missed me so much, you had to come wait for me? I thought you said you weren't a stalker," she teased.

He scoffed, but didn't say anything. Her orders to not lie about his feelings were still in effect for today, after all. Choosing not to respond, he bent forward to kiss her.

Until something landed on his head.

"Hi Laxus!" Happy chirped, tail wagging playfully in front of the lightning mage's face.

Laxus, feeling generous this morning, took a deep breath and decided to give the cat a fighting chance.

"Five…four…"

"What'cha doing? Natsumi, what's he doing? Is there something wrong with him?"

"Three…"

"Gotcha!" Lucy stepped in, yanking the Exceed from off the literal ticking time bomb that was Laxus.

She laughed nervously. "Uh, hey Laxus."

Happy was oblivious to his near brush with severe bodily harm. "Why'd you do that, Lucy? I was saying hello!"

Ignoring the cat, Laxus nodded to Lucy in thanks. At least someone around here had their head on straight. Though, as far as he was concerned, he was now free of his obligation to that damn cat. The amount he'd put up with already was astounding; he'd more than made up for threatening the cat before, in his opinion.

"Were you heading to the guild?" Natsumi interrupted his thoughts, still smiling up at him as radiantly as before.

"No, I'm just standing here for my health."

She narrowed her eyes with a "hmph," turning away from him with a sharp flip of her hair.

"Fine. Be that way." Her voice was imperious. "Come on, Luce. We don't have time for bums on the side of the road." She started walking away, with a giggling Happy following her.

Lucy looked between Laxus and Natsumi's retreating figure, then back again. She wasn't sure what to make of this new situation. Should see say something? Lighten the mood? Laxus didn't seem like the type to take a joke. What if she offended him? Sure, she'd gotten over her fear of him, but that didn't mean he'd be alright with her acting so familiar—

He surprised her when he rolled his eyes at her, a small smile on his face. Then, he gestured to Natsumi, who was still walking away, resolutely ignoring them, with a jerk of his head. Wordlessly, he walked after her, catching up easily with his longer strides. Lucy's eyes widened when he casually dropped an arm around Natsumi's shoulder, leaning over to drop a kiss on the crown of her friend's head.

In the span of a few seconds, she'd seen Laxus Dreyar shrug off a bald-faced insult, smile at her, and casually dole out affection for another person. By time her brain finished processing the new information, the pair, trailed by Happy, were almost at the end of the street. With a shout, she jogged after them.

"You guys could walk a little slower, you know," she grumbled, falling into step on Natsumi's free side.

"Maybe if you lost some weight, you could keep up."

"Shut it, cat! I'm not fat!"

"Stop it, Happy. Lucy's sensitive about her weight." Natsumi scolded.

"You're not helping! And I'm not sensitive about my weight!" She flailed her arms, screaming at them.

Laxus looked on silently. He couldn't say he really enjoyed watching all of them bicker, but it did explain a lot. Plus, he was mostly just grateful the cat had chosen someone else to bother for the time being.

He was sure they made quite the spectacle, walking down the street as a group. Though that was probably due to the busty blonde girl screaming at the top of her lungs at a talking blue cat instead of anything that he was doing. The thought was comforting.

He'd known Lucy was feisty and decent enough at what she did, despite not being one of the stronger mages in the guild, but damn, the girl had a lung capacity to rival Gramps. He'd said yesterday that she must have had the patience of a saint, but he'd been wrong. Watching her reading the riot act to Natsumi and Happy, he decided that she had very little patience, but made up for it with an overdeveloped tolerance for bullshit, which seemed to be what an extended interaction with Natsumi required—and didn't even touch on what was required for the cat. Laxus didn't think anyone but Natsumi herself could tolerate the damn thing. At the very least, he could relate to the celestial mage as a companion in suffering.

In any case, he found it enlightening. The tiny dragon slayer, for as hard of a time as she gave Lucy, seemed to really care about her, and vice versa. Their bond as friends and teammates was different than the ones he shared with his own team, where his role as a leader took precedence over friendship most of the time. Then again, neither of them was the type to take the lead, and he knew that they both treated Erza with equal parts respect and fear, so maybe their teams weren't as different as he'd originally thought.

Eventually, their bickering subsided, and they moved on to a discussion about whether or not Wendy would be going on the solo job she'd been talking about lately. Natsumi was of the mind that she would, citing that she was younger than her when she first went on a job alone. Laxus didn't mention the fact that, on the occasion she was alluding to, he'd have to come save her ass, getting his face decorated as a result. But that was a wound long since scarred over, in more ways than one, and he let her go on unchallenged.

Lucy, however, thought the girl would never be able to get permission from Carla, regardless of whether Wendy was ready to go out alone or not.

Losing interest in their conversation, Laxus contented himself with observing the girl under his arm as they grew closer to the guild hall. She looked different. Nice. Not necessarily better, because he found something appealing about the way she just didn't give a shit about what she looked like, but managed to pull off bruises and tangled hair anyway. But now, presented with a Natsumi with shiny, fragrant locks, it opened up a new door in his brain. She was adorable before, but now…she sort of looked like a doll.

He was about to ask her about it as they walked through the guild hall doors, but before he could open his mouth, she ripped herself from his hold, grabbing Lucy and bolting off, heading for the stairs to the second floor. As she ran, she yelled at him over her shoulder, telling him to wait for her there. Even the cat flew off, presumably to annoy the fuck out of someone new.

Sudden awareness of snickering by the bar robbed him of the opportunity to shout after her to ask what the fuck she was doing.

Turning, he saw Cana and Gray sitting side by side at the bar, laughing at him.

"Already whipped, eh?" Cana taunted him from over a mug that definitely wasn't filled with apple juice, judging by the edge in her voice.

He looked past her at Mira, who was wiping down the counter. "No day-drinking rules for this one, then?"

"She's already too far gone," the barmaid called back, shrugging.

"She's not the only one that's too far gone around here," Gray raised a dark eyebrow at Laxus. "You still haven't moved from where she tied you up."

Laxus stared evenly back at the ice mage, then gave a short scoff and began walking to his regular table where the Thunder Legion was flagging him down, Bickslow waving his arms like a maniac.

Walking past the bar, he turned to Gray, a deadpan look on his face.

"Sorry, but I can't take a guy that's literally taking his pants off in front of me seriously."

It was only after turning away did he allow himself a grin at the dark haired boy's squawk of distress at noticing his state of undress.

* * *

Natsumi wasn't sure why she was so nervous now, especially when she'd spent the whole time getting ready with Lucy being so confident about it. She'd been certain she could do it until the moment they all stepped foot into the guild. Then, the immanency of what she had to ask struck her, and it was all she could do to grab Lucy and run to the empty lounge upstairs.

"Do you mind explaining why you almost ripped my arm out of its socket?" Lucy rotated her arm a few times, giving Natsumi a stern look.

"I just got nervous, okay?! I don't know how to just…come out and ask for that!"

Lucy sighed. "Who are you and what have you done with Natsumi? Why are afraid of just saying whatever pops into your head?"

Natsumi raised her arms, pacing around the room. "Because this is different! It's not something that I ever thought I'd ask _Laxus_ of all people."

Lucy sat down on one of the plush sofas. "You're still giving him orders for today, right? Just tell him to do it, and he'll be honor bound or whatever."

Natsumi puffed her cheeks out, blowing out air through them as she collapsed on the couch opposite Lucy, giving her a baleful look.

"I can't just order him to do that? It'd be really awkward if he didn't want it, I think."

"I don't think you have to worry about him wanting it. I'm pretty sure that's a foregone conclusion at this point. He's already told you he loves you, and he'll see the effort you put into this. Trust me, he'll say yes," she laughed, finding her friend's rare moment of unfounded self-doubt ridiculous.

Noting the dragon slayer's unconvinced expression, she switched courses.

"Look," she leaned forward, hands on knees, "he loves you, alright? It's so obvious, everyone can see it. That's why everyone keeps giving him crap: it's such a novelty to see Laxus in such an uproar over anyone. He'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, right?"

A tentative nod. It was progress.

"I thought he'd have said as much to you. Well, you obviously care about him, too, right?"

Natsumi looked at up at her friend from underneath the hair that had fallen in her face, deciding to bite the bullet.

"I told him I loved him."

Lucy gasped. Oh, this was even better than she thought.

"Then what the hell are you still in here for? Go out there and ask him! Or tell him! Whatever, just go!" She sprang over to her friend, pulling her up by the arm, groaning in frustration when Natsumi sat up, but refused to budge otherwise.

"Are you sure?" The dragon slayer asked, but her tone was hopeful in a way it hadn't been before.

"Yes!" Lucy was absolutely certain, and she wasn't about to let her friend throw away this opportunity just because she was scared. "I promise. There is literally no way he would ever refuse you. And I went through too much trouble drying all that hair for you to back out of this. Now _please_ start acting like yourself and show that lunk that you mean business!"

That did it. The fiery spark returned to Natsumi's eyes, and she stood up, took a deep breath as she walked toward the door, then huffed it out. She jumped up and down a few times, pumping herself up. Lucy stifled her laughter at her friend's antics.

Turning back toward her friend, Natsumi gave the blonde a feral grin, confidence restored.

"I'll do it. I'm all fired up now!"

"You better be," Lucy told her, "I expect details, after all."

* * *

Laxus liked his teammates, he really did. He cared about them, felt responsible for their safety. He loved them like family.

But God, they were annoying when they wanted to be.

And right now, they definitely wanted to be.

The minute he'd sat down, they'd descended on him like a school of piranha on a bleeding pig. He hadn't spent any time with them since the morning before he'd challenged Natsumi, and they were definitely trying to make up for it.

They sat at the table, looking at him, a pack of wolves waiting for a weak spot. An intelligent hunt, then. Good. He'd expected them to start pelting him with questions judging from how Bickslow'd been waving like a lunatic at him from across the room. At least they were going about it in a way he could respect.

"I take it you've been well, then?" Freed struck first, managing to pull off looking calm even though Laxus saw straight through him. That bastard wanted to know just as badly as the other two.

Two could play at that game.

"I guess," he answered. He'd make them work for it. That is, if he didn't change his mind and tell them to fuck off first.

"Where's your coat? And your sound pods?" Leave it to Evergreen to care about his wardrobe, of all things. He smirked. They'd have to do better than that.

"They got wet." Laxus leaned back in his chair, enjoying the shocked looks on his teammates' faces.

Bickslow's mouth hung open. "Come on, man! You have to give us more than that after we helped you with all that shit! I thought Master was going to skin us alive!"

"It's true," Freed chimed in, resting his head on one hand, still playing the disinterested angle. "He was quite upset with us for being 'in cahoots with you'" the rune mage made air quotes with his free hand, rolling his eyes.

Laxus laughed. "Fine, then."

They all leaned in closer with hungry looks on their faces. Even Freed had abandoned his previous cool demeanor.

He took in a breath. "They got wet in the river."

The lightning smiled at the unison groan they all let out. Bickslow even went as far as slamming his head face-down on the table, his helmet slamming against it with a loud bang.

"Come on, Laxus!" he whined, rattling his head around his helmet like the drama queen he was. "You've got to give us more than that! We're dyin' here!" He looked up Laxus again, a frown on his face.

Laxus was about to tell him to mind his fucking business, to thank them for their help but that that no, he wasn't obligated to share every little detail of his private life, when Bickslow's eyes slid past him and he let out a low whistle.

"Never mind, man. It's pretty clear what went down." For some reason, Laxus instinctively knew he was winking at him. Unable to resist the temptation, he turned around to look at what Bickslow had been referring to, only to see Natsumi marching down the stairs, eyes fixed on them. Her cherry blossom hair billowed behind her and caught the light as she made her way over.

His breath caught in his throat at the determined look she sported.

Whipping his head back around, he fixed Bickslow with a sharp glare, daring him to continue.

"What?" the seith wizard asked, tongue wagging.

He didn't get a chance to punch the stupid look off his face before Natsumi reached their table, completely ignoring the Thunder Legion as she touched his shoulder to get his attention.

"Looking good today, Nat. Dressing to impress, yeah?"

Apparently Bickslow needed help keeping his fat mouth shut.

However, he quickly fell silent at receiving twin death stares from the two dragon slayers in front of him. For one wild moment, he wasn't sure which one to fear more.

Once again, Natsumi beat Laxus to the punch.

"You're lucky I have things to do, Bickslow, or I'd make sure that helmet became necessary instead of just a lame fashion accessory," she spit out, fire in her eyes.

The knight put his hands up in surrender, mumbling about scary girlfriends not being able to take a joke. Laxus didn't bother to correct him about the girlfriend crack. He smiled to himself when Natsumi didn't, either, despite having heard the remark.

Laxus looked back at the girl behind him, smiling at how effectively shut his teammate down. It wasn't anything new, but he got a kick out of it regardless.

"What's up?" She must have had a reason for coming over here with such bravado. "You didn't destroy anything, did you? 'Cause I'm not helping you clean up."

She glared at him, then at his snickering team.

"No, I didn't wreck anything." Her hands flew to her hips, staring him down at him from down her nose. His mind unwillingly flashed back to Lucy's imperious behavior from earlier, reminded once again of how close the two were.

"I came to tell you that we're going on a job."

Well, that was unexpected.

"Uh, cool? Thanks for telling me." He wondered why she was acting so weird just because she was leaving, but chalked it up to her just being Natsumi. "How long will you and Lucy be gone?"

Her eyes widened, her cheeks turning the lightest shade of pink. "I'm not going with Lucy."

Now he was just confused. "Who are you going with, then?"

She dropped her arms then, her face shifting into a bright scarlet shade. He didn't know what the hell he'd said, but she was starting to freak him out.

"Uh…Nat? You okay?" She just continued to stare at him. He'd thought she'd been embarrassed, but it was rapidly becoming apparent that she was pissed off. At him.

"You, you idiot! I'm going with you!" She flailed his arms, looking like an angry ball of cotton candy, all reds and pinks.

The Thunder Legion lost it. Bickslow burst into laughter, hitting the table with his palms. Freed and Evergreen, though much more contained, didn't bother to disguise their amusement. Laxus was silent, though, still trying to work through what she was telling him.

"You're going with me? On a job?" He repeated, attempting to make sense of those words together.

Evergreen snorted.

"Yes! This is me, using my second day of orders to tell you that we're going on a job! And just because I'm nice, I'll even let you pick which one. Now get to it!" She yelled. Not waiting for a response, she spun on her heel, managing to hit him in the face with her hair as she stomped away, her spicy, campfire scent trailing behind her. He watched her go, still blinking in shock about what the hell just happened.

Even Freed was cackling at this point. Laxus turned back around, stunned, as he watched Bickslow struggle to stay upright in his chair. Evergreen was leaning against Freed's shoulder, laughing her ass off.

"Oh, God," she cried, tears forming behind her glasses, "you guys are so hopeless. I can't breathe!"

"She must be even more of a hellcat than I imagined if you let her order you around like that!" Bickslow hooted, and Laxus didn't feel the least bit bad when he kicked his chair out from underneath him.

Laxus carded a hand through his hair, standing up.

"Wait, where are you going?" Bickslow asked from the floor.

"To pick out a request. What's it look like I'm doing?" The lightning mage blinked down at his teammate.

Evergreen, having composed herself, looked at their leader in shock.

"You're not actually going along with this, are you? But you've only ever go on missions by yourself or with us!"

"So?"

"So we're your team, not her!" Bickslow, now back in his chair, shot back.

Laxus looked up at the ceiling of the guild, searching for and failing to find an answer for the never ending stupidity he was currently witnessing.

"We literally just got back from a job a few days ago. It's one job, so stop acting like I'm leaving the team or something. I thought we fixed this clingy thing after we got back together." They pissed him off when they acted like they were more entitled to his time than anyone else. He didn't wait around for their response, walking over to the request board, smirking. He'd gotten a direct order, after all.

Evergreen went to go after him, but Freed grabbed her wrist.

"Let him." The force of the woman's glare was lost on Freed, who only stared stoically back at her. "It's not fair to monopolize his time. We've spent all our time together since we returned from the Games. He's entitled to some time to himself."

"But—"

"No buts." Freed silenced Bickslow's protests. "Just let him have his way. It's easier for everyone. I'm sure when he gets back, he'll make time for us, but we have to learn to share him."

Freed wished they wouldn't make things so difficult. Yes, he missed Laxus, too, especially since the last job they'd been on had been several weeks of dealing with an even more irritable lightning dragon slayer than usual. But he was willing to let things work themselves out. Laxus had done so much for them all over the years, and it was only fair to repay him in the same manner.

The fact that he found a love-struck Laxus hilarious was just the icing on the cake.

* * *

Laxus spent quite a few minutes in front of the request bored before making his selection. He wouldn't necessarily say he was out of his element, but he usually left the non S-Class mission selection to Freed or Evergreen, approving them after they'd already been chosen. Coming to a decision, he tore the flyer off the board, then turned, wondering where the fire dragon slayer had stomped off to.

When he didn't see her after giving the main floor a once over, he made his way over to the bar. Mira didn't even look up from refilling Cana's latest drink before calling out "Basement."

Nodding in thanks, he walked over to the stairs.

She was playing pool with Lucy. Playing was probably not the right word, he thought, since she was blatantly cheating, having Happy tap in the balls that didn't go in. The cat had done just that as Laxus walked into the room. He watched the celestial mage screech in anger, trying to hit him with her pool cue, which he deftly avoided.

Natsumi had her back to him and didn't notice his interest. Lucy did, however, and when he gave her a searching look, she smiled and snatched Happy up, proclaiming that she had to go to the bathroom. She made a hurried exit, sweeping past Laxus and trying her best to silence Happy's complaints about not needing to come with her. Once again, the tall man was grateful the Heartfilia girl knew how to take a hint. It was about time someone did, at least.

Natsumi turned as Lucy left, a protest on her lips that died as she came to face Laxus. Coloring, she huffed, turning her head away.

He rolled his eyes at her antics, walking up to her and lightly grabbing the end of the long braid that hung by her right ear. Laxus gave it a small tug to make her look at him.

"I found us a job." He held the flyer up to her face. She looked up at him, shocked.

"But I thought—"

"Next time actually stick around so I can answer you, alright?" he laughed, interrupting her.

She narrowed her eyes at him and snatched the paper from his hand. "Well, you took long enough!"

"You surprised me." He defended, rubbing his thumb across the braid he still held.

"Whatever."

"Hey, don't be like that," he bent down to look straight at her. "It's not a big deal. I'd have told you as such if you hadn't stormed out."

"I was embarrassed! And I was nervous about asking you, and Lucy promised me you'd agree, but then you just looked at me like I grew two extra heads and then those assholes started laughing and I got angry—"

He smiled at her, dropping her hair to pull her into a hug. "Relax. Nervousness doesn't suit you."

"Yeah, I know," she leaned back and brought the hand holding the now slightly crumpled request form to her forehead in a haphazard salute. "From now on, I'll make sure to make my orders more clear so you don't have to think too hard."

That was the little shit he knew and loved.

"You're fucking hilarious." He pried the mission request out of her hands, holding it out to her properly. "Read it."

Her eyes moved over the page and widened when she saw the reward amount.

"800,000 Jewels? For a retrieval mission? That's so much money!"

Laxus shrugged. "I don't even get out of bed for anything less than a 350,000 Jewel cut. Usually the only jobs that pay that much are S-Class, since I'm used to splitting it four ways."

A brief flicker of mischief flashed in her eyes. "If you want a larger cut, we could go on an S-Class mission." She wiggled her eyebrows, and he would have found it comical if he hadn't anticipated it.

"Not a chance." Holding a hand to stop her offended protest, he continued. "And before you start bitching at me, it's not because I don't think you're strong enough or any of that shit. For one, S-Class quests usually take for fucking ever, and also, I have no idea how we're going to work together. For all I know, we could be at each other's throats the whole time, and that could get us killed, no matter how good we are. Got it?"

She pursed her lips, but nodded in understanding. He internally sighed in relief, glad she'd accepted his explanation. She was overzealous and battle crazy on the best of days, and he didn't want to deal with her charging recklessly into a possible suicide mission as she was prone to doing, even if she'd managed okay so far. He'd entertain the idea of an S-Class quest with her if this went well, though there wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell that he was going to tell her that now.

"So it's in Shirotsume?" she interrupted his thoughts.

He nodded. "Apparently the client's some rich bastard who got robbed. It was some sort of rare magical artifact that's probably worth a hell of a lot of cash if he's willing to pay that much just to get it back."

As he explained, he grew confused at the increasing look of horror on her face. When he questioned her, she could only utter, "Trains," while paling.

Well, shit. Travel was the one thing he hadn't considered when he'd chosen. Now he'd have to deal with a motion sick Natsumi while dealing with own issues as well. Even worse, she was going to find out that he shared her weakness for vehicles. He could hear the sound of her taunting already.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said in a tight voice.

Her answering groan was a mirror of his own thoughts, but it was true that the other missions in the request board hadn't been worth it. The pickings had been slim, and the few that had met his Jewel benchmark had not seemed enough of a challenge to last more than a few days. He'd been given an opportunity to spend time with Natsumi away from the collective presence of the guild—including that damn cat—and he was going to milk it for all it was worth.

"It'd probably make more sense to head out tomorrow morning instead of this evening. Which means…" he smirked at her.

"It means…?" she parroted.

"It means that my time as your errand boy is up and I'll be calling the shots. And if you destroy anything, you'll be the one working off slave days, got it?" He winked, but his smile was predatory. She gulped, looking up at him with huge eyes.

"A-Aye, sir."

It was probably fucked up of him, but he found her adorable when she got like that. He leaned forward again, scooping her up, sending the request flyer to the floor. When he brought her to face level, he brushed back the hair that had fallen over her shoulder so he could nudge her scarf out of the way and brush the tip of his nose against her neck. Her breath caught, and the soft gasping noise made him smile.

He wondered if there was more where that came from.

The blonde moved so instead of the tip of his nose, his lips pressed against her skin. He hummed at the feeling of her pulse racing underneath his lips and softly sucked the point where the smoothness of her throat gave way to her shoulder.

The keening sound she made was everything he could have asked for. Laxus adjusted her in his arms, moving her from bridal carry he'd picked her up in to what was quickly growing to be his favorite position, with her legs securely around his waist. Supporting her with one hand, he wound the other in the soft tendrils of her hair to expose more of her neck to him.

"Your hair smells good," he said against her skin. The devious part of him hoped that she was suffering as much now as he had when she'd told him the same thing. A larger part, however, was only concerned with making her make more of those noises.

She drew in a deep breath, feeling lightheaded under his ministrations.

"I had Lucy do it for today," she explained, her voice breathy and wavering as she leaned into him.

He laughed softly, "I noticed. Was it for me?"

She nodded as she brought her own hands from where they'd been resting on his shoulders to hold both sides of his neck, brushing the bottoms of his ears. He couldn't contain his short groan at the soft touch.

"You kept touching it before," she gasped again as he mouthed at her neck again, "I thought you'd like it."

That was a surprise, he thought. Though, thinking back quickly, he supposed he really did have a thing for her hair. It was one of the most feminine things about her, falling in thick, fragrant waves almost to the hem of her pants. Even when it was tangled and unkempt, it still carried her smoky scent. Now that it'd been brought to his attention, he realized he really did have a thing for it. He punctuated his realization with a sigh against her skin.

"I do. I did before. But damn, Nat." He breathed in again, closing his eyes when she dug the pads of her fingers into his neck. Something that small shouldn't have affected him so much, but he was learning to not underestimate the power that even the smallest of Natsumi's actions had on him. The blonde tilted his head back, trying to will the blood away from his groin.

All hope of that was obliterated, however, when she pulled him back, locking her lips with his. He groaned into her mouth, not wasting any time when he licked at her lips. Natsumi opened her mouth to grant him access.

His hands trailed to her hips, and she gasped at the feeling of calloused hands stroking the bare skin he found there. He swallowed the sound, moving forward until the tops of his thighs brushed against the pool table. Natsumi disengaged her legs from their hold around his middle and sank down to sit against the edge. Laxus wasn't about to let her go far, however, pushing himself flush against her as he moved his hands up to toy with the bottom edge of the cloth wrappings around her chest as their mouths remained connected.

She was driving him crazy. He marveled at how much of her his hands covered, with her panting and gasping beneath him as she pulled at his hair and grabbed his shoulders. The feeling of such a formidable girl allowing him to touch her like this made his head swim, barely stifling the urge to rut against her.

A clattering sound jolted him out of his lust-induced haze. Snapping up from his position over Natsumi, he glared over his shoulder. Someone better be dying, or he was going to fuck up whoever was responsible for interrupting him.

Wakaba and Macao stood in the doorway, looking profoundly uncomfortable.

"Uh, sorry kids," Macao crouched down to pick up the cue he'd dropped when he'd seen Laxus bent over the pool table, presumably doing things he'd rather not think about to Natsumi.

His suspicions were confirmed when Natsumi's head peaked out from behind Laxus, who still hadn't turned to face them entirely. He really was too old to be messing with someone like the Master's grandson, especially since the look on the boy's face looked like it could boil water. Fumbling to control the damage, he silently hoped Wakaba would keep his trap shut…for both their sakes.

"We'll just…," he cleared his throat, looking at the ceiling. "be going now."

He didn't bother consulting his friend, who, for once, wordlessly followed his lead as they ascended the stairs back to the main floor.

The pair breathed a sigh of relief when they were out of earshot of the game room.

"I thought Laxus was going to rip us a new one." Wakaba said, taking out a cigarette from his coat pocket.

"Can't say I blame him, honestly. Did you see the look on his face? Poor kid looked about ready to burst into flames."

Wakaba lit his cigarette and took a long drag. "I remember what it was like to be twenty-something," he sighed wistfully.

Macao rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sitting at home in your pajamas with your wife, probably."

Ignoring his friend's protests that there wasn't anything wrong with settling down early, the former guild master continued. "Still, it does brings back memories." He didn't mention that when he'd been that brazen, he'd ended up with a little something called Romeo and a shotgun wedding. He just hoped that for all his bluster, Laxus was a smarter kid than he had been.

The old friends shared another nostalgic look, deciding that drinks at their usual table was probably a safer decision than their pool game had been.

Meanwhile, Laxus was discovering that the increased blood pressure that accompanied his anger at the two geezers only worsened the uncomfortable tightening in his pants. He tried taking a few deep breaths, but his mind kept flashing back to the feeling of her yielding underneath him, effectively ruining his progress.

"Are you okay?" she asked him in a soft voice, hopping off the edge of the pool table to stand in front of him.

Too close. He put his hands on her shoulders to keep her from coming any closer, not trusting himself if she did. Grudgingly, he admitted that it'd probably been for the best that Macao and Wakaba had walked in on them. Who knows how far they would've gotten otherwise? Not that he would have felt like he was taking advantage: she seemed pretty into it from where he was standing, but he didn't necessarily to want it to happen in a guild hall surrounded by people. Even if Natsumi didn't care, he did. That thought helped him calm down a bit.

"Yeah, I'm okay." His voice was a little uneven, but he figured that since he'd literally been seconds away from grinding against her like a dog in heat, being concerned about that little detail seemed like energy that he needed to dedicate to not jumping her right now. "Really, don't worry about it," he reassured her, more for his benefit than anything else.

She looked unconvinced, hearing the tone of his voice. It wasn't like Laxus to sound so compromised. Looking him up and down, she caught sight of his arousal through his pants and her eyes widened, letting out a quiet "Oh."

He'd expected her to blush and look away. Or taunt him. But when she just kept staring at his crotch, a sense of self-consciousness that he'd been pretty sure had been lost a long time ago came rushing back. Was she scared? She'd seemed like she had been enjoying herself, but as she still made no other response, he started to worry that he'd gone too far too fast with her.

"It'll go away if you just ignore it," he said awkwardly. He raised one hand to scratch at the back of his neck, trying not to appear unsettled by her behavior.

Natsumi pushed against his hold on her shoulder, reaching up to grab the collar of his shirt. She gave it a tug, and he let her bring him down to her level. Leaning in, she chastely brushed their lips together. When she pulled back, she had a sheepish smile on her face.

"Sorry," she began, "I didn't mean to start anything."

He breathed a sigh of relief, glad he hadn't irrevocably scarred her or anything. The blonde also made a mental note that she actually seemed to not be completely clueless about sex, which was honestly surprising, given how naïve she'd sounded last night. In any case, he counted it as a plus. It made him feel a lot less like a creep. Silently, he thanked whatever power had inadvertently saved him from having to explain the finer details of how sex worked to her.

"Nah, don't apologize. It was…enlightening," he smiled at her, feeling much calmer. He leaned again to kiss the crown of her head and allowed the comforting campfire smell that clung to her temporarily flood his senses.

Pulling away, he saw the crumpled mission flyer lying on the floor and picked it up. He waved it at her. "We need to turn this into Mira, anyway."

When the couple emerged from the basement into the main hall, their mutual sense of unease about being the subject of more gossip proved to be unfounded when no additional snickering greeted them. Laxus thought that, despite Macao and Wakaba's apparent silence about what they'd witnessed, they'd only managed to avoid notice due to Natsumi having a naturally rumpled appearance.

Natsumi told him that she was going to tell Lucy about their plans, and walked off to where the celestial mage sat. Letting her go, he walked over to the bar and flagged Mira down. She raised a single white eyebrow when he handed her the request and said it was for himself and Natsumi.

"Don't start, Mira. Just approve the damn thing."

"I wasn't going to say a word," she said in a sweet tone as she took the offered piece of paper.

"Except good luck. And," her expression darkened, the inner demon he'd always known was still there surfacing, "don't do anything I wouldn't do."

He scoffed, "Which version of you are we talking about?"

She glared. "Just don't be stupid or I'll hurt you."

His only response was a mock salute. Getting the all clear from her, he made over to the girls' table, where the two sat talking animatedly. As he was about to get their attention, however, Lucy's eyes got huge, her mouth dropping open. She shot up, chair scooting loudly against the hardwood floor, and grabbed Natsumi by the wrist. The blonde girl then proceeded to drag the dragon slayer out of the guild, heedless of the older girl's squawking protests.

"Don't worry, Laxus. She'll be at the station bright and early tomorrow, but we've got errands to run until then! Bye!"

He barely caught the terrified look Natsumi threw over her shoulder at him, her friend moved so fast. Before he could fully register what was happening, the two girls were gone with a slam of the guild doors.

Laxus wondered if this never ending stream of confusion-annoyance-affection-lust-confusion was just going to be his life now. With an increasing sense of foreboding, he realized that when it came to life in any way involving Natsumi, that was a near certainty.

* * *

 **Note:** I feel increasingly more devious as this goes on. Throughout the writing of this chapter, I kept wondering if anyone would fall for the hints I was dropping. I hoped I got the point across, especially since I was cackling the whole time. I hope I didn't let anyone down too badly by baiting a more mature scene and then not delivering fully. All I can say on that front is to be patient. All good things come to those who wait ;). But at least the question of whether or not Nat knows what she's doing has been answered, yeah?

 **Next Chapter Preview:** Two Dragons, One Bucket

 _"You…you," she accused, pointing at him. He only glared out the window, still dizzy and sweating and fucking pissed about it._

 _"You are such a liar! I should have known!" she yelled, immediately dissolving into snickers as she pumped her feet against the armrest. It was just too good._

 _"The would-be Wizard Saint Laxus, taken out by a fucking train!" she howled._


	15. Two Dragons, One Bucket

**AN:** Hey guys! As usual, you guys are super nice. The messages made me smile :)

Last time, we saw Nat and Laxus in a rather awkward situation, and Lucy had taken it upon herself to prepare Nat for her adventure. This chapter, we'll see exactly what she had in mind.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Two Dragons, One Bucket**

Natsumi laid on a bench at the train station, the morning sun barely beginning its ascent from beyond the mountains. The dragon slayer really wished Lucy hadn't been so literal when she'd said "bright and early." Laxus wasn't even here yet, and she was bored.

She regretted telling her friend about the details of the mission. As soon as the celestial mage had heard the words "retrieval mission" and "probably going to take forever," she'd gone into a tizzy, insisting that she needed to help Natsumi prepare.

Natsumi glared at the pack lying on the ground next to the bench. After Lucy had gotten through with it, it was much heavier than it usually was, weighed down with various trinkets that Lucy had deemed 'absolutely necessary.' The added weight wasn't an issue, but Natsumi wasn't sure why she needed two hairbrushes, some fancy-smelling goo that Lucy had made her promise to put in her hair after washing it, and a container of capsules with an attached note written in the blonde's loopy script.

It was the note that had Natsumi shaking her head at her pack. Her friend could really be overbearing when she wanted to. She almost shuddered at the memory.

 _Lucy was on a mission of her own as she slammed the door to her bedroom, locking both the door and the window to prevent Happy from interrupting what she called 'girl time.' Natsumi sat on the floor by Lucy's bed, watching her friend pull out drawers and open her closet, constantly running in and out of the bathroom._

 _Lucy, while holding up various bottles of heavily scented liquid, suddenly came to a stop in the middle of her room._

" _Hey, Nat, I know it was your idea to go on a job with Laxus, but have you thought it all the way through?" the blonde asked with a concerned look._

 _The smaller girl raised a pink eyebrow, "What's there to think about?"_

" _Oh my gosh," the blonde panicked, moving to sit down in front of Natsumi on the floor, "please tell me someone had the talk with you! Laxus is what? 22? 23? Do you know what he could be expecting from you if you're alone together in a whole different town?! Nat, I don't think this is such a good—"_

" _Lucy, stop!" Natsumi grabbed her friend's shoulders. "I don't think you're being very fair. Laxus doesn't expect anything from me. He never forced me, not when I was taking my clothes off in the river or when he got a boner at the guild today."_

" _Wait." Lucy's face was completely blank, then her cheeks ignited a deep, cherry red. "You mean he got an…an," her voice dropped to a whisper, "erection?" Natsumi rolled her eyes. "In front of you?"_

" _Yeah, so? I kissed him and it felt nice so we kept going and then Macao and Wakaba walked in on us, so we stopped." The dragon slayer explained with a shrug._

" _Why are you saying that so easily?!" The celestial mage screamed at her friend. "How did you know about that sort of stuff?"_

 _Huffing, the pink-haired girl let go of her friend's shoulders. "Because I'm eighteen years old and not eight? Just because I don't think it's as big of a deal as you pervs doesn't mean I don't know how it works."_

" _But…you always seemed like you had no idea about it." Lucy said, surprised._

" _I mean, before now, it's not like I had a reason to be interested. But now…"_

" _You want to have sex with him!" her friend accused. "I thought it was him I needed to worry about, but it was_ you _!"_

 _Lucy didn't give her a chance to defend herself, scrambling back into her bathroom and emerging a few minutes later with a small box. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from her desk and hastily scrawled something, folding it up and fixing it to the top of the box._

" _You're taking these with you, no buts." She handed the box over to Natsumi, who took it with a questioning look. "I was saving them just in case, but you need them more than I do. I wrote the directions in the note. Just promise me you'll be careful no matter what, okay?" Lucy finished in a softer tone._

Natsumi eyed the pack again, smiling this time. Even though Lucy was a total spaz, she cared, and Natsumi loved her for it. She wondered if she'd actually have a use for anything that her friend had made her take, though.

Remembering the feel of Laxus pressed against her, breathing heavily into the skin of her neck, she decided that it was probably a good idea that she was prepared, especially when all she'd wanted at the time was to ask him to take his clothes off so she could admire what he looked like, as she had at the river.

Her only regret was that she hadn't told him in words what she'd wanted and only apologized for working him up. If she was lucky, maybe she'd get the chance to tell him on the trip. Until then, she closed her eyes and contented herself to wait. She'd already waited for eighteen years, after all. A little longer wouldn't kill her.

She'd nearly fallen asleep on her bench when the background light she'd been perceiving behind her eyelids went dark as something blocked out the sun. Cracking open an eyelid, she saw Laxus standing over her. He was dressed for travel, his coat back in pristine condition and a bag slung over his broad shoulders.

"Hey," she smiled, closing her eyes again.

"You're here early," she heard him say, still not moving from his position in front of her.

She hummed in agreement. "It's Lucy's fault. The weirdo kicked me out extra early so I wouldn't be late."

"Well you probably want to save your sleep for the ride. The train'll be here any minute."

Natsumi paled, having managed to put the thought of several hours of impending Hell out of mind.

"Do we have to go by train? Can't we just, I don't know, run or something?" she grumbled, knowing it was a lost cause.

"If you want to run, be my guest. I'll have the job finished by the time you make it all the way to Shirotsume, and I won't be splitting the reward." He wasn't looking forward to the train ride, either, but he was determined to keep his motion sickness a secret from her for as long as physically possible. She'd never let him live it down. Ever.

She was whining about him being mean when the train arrived, and he had to physically remove her from her bench so she could grab her bag and board.

They made it to their seats without incident, choosing to sit near the windows. Laxus found it at least a little easier to handle the horrible dizziness if he could see the outside world and get his bearings, rather than feel like he was being haphazardly shaken inside a tin can.

Natsumi seemed to feel the opposite, already curled into a small ball with her back against the window and her knees against the armrest. He wished he could reach across to comfort her, but he knew by the time they started moving, he'd be struggling to hold it together himself, much less be of use to her.

After the token announcements, the train began moving, and both dragon slayers immediately settled in—or tried to—for the five hour train ride. Laxus kept his gaze focused on the passing scenery, trying to keep himself distracted from the cold sweat that had broken out on his forehead. He clenched his fists on his knees, concentrating on taking deep breaths.

Chancing a glance away from the window, he looked at the girl directly across from him. Natsumi seemed to shrink in on herself as time went on. Her face was drawn and pale as she clutched her stomach, every now and then jerking with what he thought were probably dry heaves.

"This is awful," she moaned, rocking back and forth, though he didn't understand how moving more would help matters. As the minutes ticked by, her condition only deteriorated.

"Just try and sleep." He sounded harsher than he wanted to, but he could barely spare the effort to talk. It just made him more nauseous.

She heaved again, throwing him a miserable look. "I can't go to sleep on trains by myself. Lucy usually lets me lay on her lap when we travel."

"Try anyway."

"But Laaaaxus," she groaned at him, looking as wrecked as he felt.

"You're not coming anywhere near me."

She frowned. "Now you're actually being mean. I can't help that I'm like this." Ugh. He knew he was being a tool, but he couldn't let her know that he was about three sentences away from losing his breakfast.

When he didn't say anything, she glared, though she struggled to keep her expression from sliding back into the pained one she'd been wearing since they started moving.

"Fine, be a jerk," she mumbled as she threw hung her legs over the armrest of her seat.

He was about to tell her to go the fuck to sleep again when the train lurched, sending them both into fits of gagging.

She looked over at him in shock when she'd temporarily recovered. Shit, he thought. She'd seen.

"You… _you_ ," she accused, pointing at him. He only glared out the window, still dizzy and sweating and fucking pissed about it.

"You are such a liar! I should have known!" she yelled, immediately dissolving into snickers as she pumped her feet against the armrest. It was just too good.

"The would-be Wizard Saint Laxus, taken out by a fucking train!" she howled.

The train lurched again, and he actually shrank back when she choked again, legitimately afraid that she was going to puke everywhere.

"Shut up," he groaned, not bothering to hide his discomfort now that she knew. "You don't have room to talk. You're even more of a mess than I am."

"Yeah, but I didn't think that _you_ of all people would get motion sick, even if you are technically a dragon slayer." Her voice was much smaller after her latest fit. At least from now on, she'd probably be too sick to make fun of him. Thank God for small miracles.

"You and me both." If you asked him, he'd gotten the short end of the stick when it came to dragon slaying. He had all the power of one, yeah, but none of the increased senses. He couldn't scent like a bloodhound or see in pitch dark like Natsumi could, yet he still had to deal with all the associated vehicle bullshit. He didn't even share in the physical attributes of the dragon slayer race, lacking the elongated canines that came with the draconic aura.

"There's only one thing to do," Natsumi said after a minute of deliberation. "We have to knock each other out."

He was _so_ not in the mood to deal with this.

"No."

"That's the only thing that works in the end! Erza swears by it."

"Yeah, but if you haven't noticed, Erza's also kind of batshit insane."

She moaned again. He did feel kind of sorry for her. She did seem to be worse for wear than he was.

Oh, what the hell.

He took off his sound pods that had been hanging around his neck and took out the storage lacrima he'd been keeping in his pocket. He'd been trying to ween himself off needing music while in motion, so he hadn't bothered putting them on.

"Here," he threw them over to Natsumi, who didn't catch them, sending both the sound pods and the lacrima clattering to the ground. He rolled his eyes, glad they were made to withstand actual battle. The blonde could only imagine what damage Natsumi would do to a normal model on a good day, much less when she was clumsy with sickness.

"Put them on," he told her as she sluggishly moved to pick the apparatus off the floor. "Music used to help distract me, so maybe it'll work for you. It's already set to automatic, so all you have to do is turn it on." He went back to staring out the window.

"Are you sure…? You don't ever let anyone touch these," she carefully fingered the chord, afraid she'd accidentally break something, conveniently forgetting that she'd just dropped the damn things.

"It's fine. You look like you need them way more than I do. So just do us both a favor and try to sleep?"

She nodded, sliding the sound pods on. She looked ridiculous. They were too big for her head, for one, and the spikes were way out of proportion. They jutted from each side of her head, and he couldn't help but chuckle, even though it sent his stomach roiling in protest. He watched as she tapped the lacrima, activating the magic that would play the songs stored in the pods themselves. She smiled as it started.

"You know, I never knew what sort of music you were always listening to, even when we were younger," she told him, attempting to find a comfortable position that allowed room for the massive spikes.

"I'm not surprised it's rock music. It suits you." She closed her eyes, and within minutes, was out like a light.

Thank fuck, he thought. At least now he had one less sick dragon slayer to worry about. He managed to hold himself together for another hour, then lost the battle with his stomach and ended up having to elbow numerous people out of the way to get to the bathroom. He barely made it in time before all of what he'd eaten before boarding came back up with a vengeance.

"Fuck trains," he muttered, rinsing out his mouth. "And fuck my magic."

Shuffling back to his seat, he was greeted with an unconscious Natsumi nearly falling out of her seat, her head and shoulders dangerously close to slipping down from where they were pressed against the window.

He sighed, going over to pick her up. The blonde sat down in her seat, placing her in his lap and arranging her so he wouldn't get stabbed with his own pods. Luckily for her, he usually felt a little better after puking, so he didn't think there was any danger of a repeat. He just hoped that she stayed asleep.

Leaning his head against the window, he stroked her hair. It was just as soft as it had been the day before. A part of him liked that she'd been taking care of it just for his benefit, even though he'd told her he didn't care either way. He couldn't deny that he liked how he could run his fingers all the way through it without incident now, though.

He still had a grip on it when he fell asleep to the sound of her breathing.

* * *

The sound of the conductor's voice announcing their arrival to Shirotsume woke Natsumi. In her groggy state, she was confused why the train intercom would also be playing loud, guitar-heavy music, when she realized she was still wearing Laxus's sound pods. Blinking, she stretched, only realizing she was sitting on something that was definitely _not_ a train seat.

Looking up, she saw Laxus asleep, his head rested up against the window of the train. She smiled, glad that he'd managed to get some rest, too. No matter how funny she found the fact that he suffered her same weakness for vehicles, she wouldn't wish it on anyone except her worst enemies.

She tapped the sound lacrima still sitting on her lap and slid the sound pods around her neck. Natsumi didn't want to wake him up, but they only had a few minutes to disembark before they'd be spirited off to the next station, and that'd happened to the pink-hair dragon slayer often enough for her to grab his shoulder and give it a firm shake.

He woke silently, opening his eyes to stare directly at her. Natsumi smiled and thanked him for letting her use his music, to which he responded with a gruff "Don't worry about it."

Sliding off him, she tossed him his music and got up. When he did the same, she laughed.

"What?" he asked her as he reached overheard to pass her her bag, slipping his own over his head.

"Your hair is all mussed up." she giggled, gesturing to how it'd been flattened on one side, "Here, let me help." She climbed on to the nearest seat and put her fingers in his hair, combing her fingers through it to restore it to its former shape. Satisfied with her work, she smiled at him. "There!"

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks, I guess."

"No problem," she dismissed, jumping down from the seat and heading to the exit. "I did it for the sake of the mission."

He blinked, confused. "The mission?"

"Yeah. I think the mission would suffer if you showed up looking adorable," she snickered. "You looked like a puppy that'd just woken up from a nap, cowlick and everything. No way the client would've taken us seriously."

"Ha fuckin' ha," he deadpanned as he followed her. On the way out, though, she caught him combing his hands through his hair.

Laxus had said that the client lived on one of the expansive estates on the edge of town, and the sun was high in the sky as the mansion came into view. A large, gilded gate loomed over an equally immaculate lawn, giving way to a courtyard dotted with colorful stones. Laxus muttered something about rich bastards as they stopped at the gate. Without a word, they creaked open, allowing the two wizards entrance into the heart of the estate.

Despite the easy entrance into the courtyard, they two wizards were left standing before the ornate oak doors of the mansion for several minutes. Both grew increasingly agitated, and Natsumi was seconds away from bursting through them herself when they creaked open, and a young maid barely a few years older than Natsumi herself peaked out cautiously.

"Would you please state your business with Master Sevoir?" The woman's voice was barely audible as she looked furtively between Laxus and Natsumi.

Laxus announced them, stating that they were here to accept the request made by the head of the estate to Fairy Tail.

The girl still looked nervous.

"I'm afraid I'll have to see some identification, if you wouldn't mind." Her voice shook as she made her demand, but she maintained her gaze.

Natsumi scoffed, holding up her right arm. The woman nodded, then looked to Laxus, who made no effort to move.

"I'll need to see yours as well, sir. The master insisted."

He heaved a great sigh, then made a great show of pulling up his shirt, exposing the guild emblem on his lower chest, laid within the intricate design of a tribal tattoo. The maid flushed, and made no response other than to nod and open the door wider, gesturing for them to enter.

"The master usually spends his days in the drawing room. I will show you there. He loves to receive guests." She then proceeded to lead them into the expansive house and through numerous gaping hallways, all decorated lavishly with antique portraits and furniture. Whoever this guy was, Natsumi thought, he had money to burn. The thought annoyed her.

Although, with the way that maid kept sneaking glances back at Laxus, it might not have been the decorations that put her in such a bad mood.

She was immediately shocked. Was she jealous? Better yet…could she even _get_ jealous? Natsumi couldn't recall ever feeling this way. But yet, here she was, about to bare her teeth in open challenge to this shy slip of a woman who did nothing but look at Laxus in a slightly affectionate way. She wondered if she should worry about herself.

However, one glance at Laxus found him looking even more bored with the scenery as she felt. Better yet, he hadn't seemed to be paying their company any attention, only ambling forward with all the usual confidence of an S-Class mage. She smiled, and was surprised when he caught her eye, offering a slight twitch of hips lips in response.

Jealousy was stupid, she decided. Plus, she felt a bit sorry for the girl, who, if anything, looked scared silly, whether of them or of something else, she wasn't sure. Her thoughts were interrupted when the maid led them up to another large set of doors, carved with intricate runic designs. They didn't seem to be magical, but then again, Natsumi knew jack-all about rune magic.

The maid knocked three times, and the doors opened. The inside of a revealed room was just as lavish as the rest of the house, with a huge grand piano as the centerpiece of the room. Around it were several ornate fainting couches, each with its own embroidered design. The large windows on the far side of the room let in the light of the afternoon sun, illuminating the figure that sat on one of the couches, bent over a pad of paper.

Clearing her throat, the maid spoke in her wavering tone. "Master Sevoir, there are two Fairy Tail mages here to see you. They've come to respond to your request."

The man shot up, knocking the pad of paper to the ground in his haste. A delighted smile crossed his face at her announcement, looking over at the trio with undisguised glee. Natsumi gave the man a once over. He wasn't old, but he wasn't young. The gray in his full, neatly trimmed beard was beginning to win over the dark brown, but there was a youthful glint in his excited eyes. He was tall, she noticed. Far taller than herself, and broad, but Laxus had a few inches on him, as well as at least twenty pounds. Examining his clothes, she decided that even without an introduction, she would have known who owned the house. He matched it. His long, tailored coat was heavily embroidered, as well as the waistcoat underneath. She had to give it to him. The man had style and wasn't afraid to use it.

"How wonderful! Please, come in, come in! Sit down!" He gestured wildly to the couch opposite him, and the two mages obliged, sitting down with varying degrees of grace.

"Trini will get us some tea and biscuits while we discuss matters, won't you?" he turned to the maid, who curtsied and went to exit.

Laxus cleared his throat. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Sevoir."

"I insist! It's not every day one gets to entertain famous people!" he motioned to Trini's retreating figure as he sat down again. "And please, call me John. After all, I should hope that you'll allow me to call you by your first name, Laxus."

John Sevoir laughed at Laxus's raised eyebrow. "Of course I know who you are! You're the one who defeated the Wizard Saint Jura!" He crowed at them, gigantic smile pervading. "That was the only Grand Magical Games I'd decided to skip in six years. I thought it'd be another blow out for Sabertooth, and it's just like me to end up missing the most exciting one of them all! I still haven't recovered from it."

Natsumi shot Laxus an amused look, especially when she saw how his expression soured slightly, not one to find either small talk or hero worship at all flattering. It only made Natsumi laugh, though. It was nice to get recognized, especially after they'd inadvertently left all their friends to fend for themselves for seven years. They'd earned the title of strongest guild back fair and square, after all.

"And this must be the legendary Salamander! Don't think I'd forget you, my dear! How you singlehandedly defeated the Twin Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth was arguably the best fight of the whole Games!" he turned to Natsumi then, smiling warmly. "And if I must say, you're even more beautiful than your name describes! Never in all my years have I gazed at a more beautiful depiction of summer as you." He winked at her, laughing.

Laxus's eyes tightened. Unconsciously, he draped his hand over the back of the couch, behind where Natsumi was sitting. Natsumi shot him a sideways glance, but didn't say anything. She herself was quite confused. What was this old man going on about?

Mr. Sevoir laughed harder. "Oh, don't look so afraid! I'm quite a harmless, and married, man," he laughed again, and sure enough, the afternoon sun glittered across the gold band on his left hand. "Though my wife often scolds me for my antics. However, I couldn't resist. A young woman as capable as yourself should get all the recognition she deserves, especially one so beautiful. Isn't that right, Laxus?" He winked again and howled at Laxus's startled look.

"Okay, okay, I promise I'm quite finished." Sevoir took in a deep breath, standing up. Trini took that moment to return to the room, armed with a tray full of delicious-smelling cookies and a tea kettle. She wordlessly settled her burden down on the table between the master of the house and the two wizards and departed, but not before sneaking another flushed glance at Laxus, which he promptly ignored.

Natsumi's mouth watered as she stared predatorily at the tray. She hadn't eaten breakfast since she knew it'd be useless with the train, and the bottomless pit that was her stomach rumbled, filling the room.

John Sevoir seemed to be made of laughter, for this only set him off once again.

"Please, dig in, Natsumi! That's what it's for, after all."

The little dragon slayer didn't need to be told twice. She attacked the snacks with all the grace of a starving animal.

"Actually, Mr. Sevoir," Laxus began, trying his best to not look at the gluttonous display occurring beside him, "we'd like to begin immediately. If you wouldn't mind, would you show us the location that the object was being stored when it went missing?"

The older man nodded, standing up. "Of course. I'm sorry to have kept you. If you'd follow me."

Laxus looked to his left and saw the little weirdo frantically stuffing what cookies she hadn't managed to eat into a draped fold of her scarf. Rolling his eyes, he took hold of her arm and pulled her after him to where John Sevoir was standing before blank patch of wall in between two beautiful landscape paintings.

"It's right this way," he smiled, pushing his hand up against the wall. It seemed to come alive under his touch, with tiny golden threads of light weaving themselves out from underneath the wall, then dissolving into nothing. Where once a bare patch of pastel wallpaper stood, instead a doorway was revealed, leading to a smaller, more modern adjoining room.

"I have no magical aptitude to speak of," explained Sevoir at Natsumi's confused look, "but I do have a small magical capacity. I had this door designed to read magical energy. It only responds to my touch, which is what makes this whole debacle so confusing."

The trio stepped into what was essentially a display area, filled with exotic memorabilia ranging from vases to masks to rocks. At the center of the room stood an empty pedestal.

"To my knowledge, there is no other way in or out of this room except through that door. I even take all the cleaning duties on myself. I've investigated all of my staff thoroughly and none of them had any knowledge of how it could have gone missing. However, last week I came to reorganize some of the lesser artifacts and found the amulet shard gone."

"Amulet shard? The request was a little vague. Can you give us any more information? Where it came from? What it does? A physical description?"

"Of course!" Sevoir exclaimed, exiting the room and jogging back a few seconds later with the pad of paper they'd seen him with when they'd come into the room.

"Here's a rough sketch of what it looked like. I'm only a mediocre artist, but I enjoy it in my spare time. I've had quite a lot of it after I retired," he smiled amicably, handing Laxus the paper. Natsumi struggled to see the picture over the lightning mage's shoulder before he lowered it.

"The shard is about the size of my fist, and dark blue in color," he began as the two examined the picture. "It's not known with certainty what its actual purpose was, but we called it an amulet because of the gold setting, see?" The older man pointed to the sketch. It really looked like it had been part of a much larger whole, but was broken at some point, judging by the jagged, dangerous-looking edges. The rounded side was deep-set into a different material, with intricate markings all the way around it.

"As to where it was found," he went on, "myself and a select few members of a local archeological guild were on a dig on some property of mine near the mountains and stumbled upon a site. We thought ourselves unfortunate at first glance, considering we only found what we thought was a broken piece of shiny rock," he laughed, shaking his head. "But when we conducted some routine testing, we found it had the same magical storage capabilities as modern-day lacrima, but predated that substance by quite a significant amount of time! We think that that shard is one of the first lacrima prototypes, which would make it not only ridiculously valuable, but an important piece of Earthland history. As a curator of such historic objects, I take it upon myself to make sure they wind up in deserving collections. I'd found such a collector, and she'd agreed to send a transport for the object in a little over a week, which is why locating it is such a profound priority."

Laxus nodded. "Do you mind if we take this sketch? It could be useful if we run across something."

"Of course! I only ask that you use your discretion when showing it to others. I'm not quite sure it would be a good idea to let too many know how valuable of an artifact that is."

"Sure. Thanks for your time," Laxus said, folding the sketch carefully into a pocket of his coat. "We'll scout around and report back with any leads. It shouldn't take too long."

"I appreciate your efforts," Sevoir thanked them. "Though I must admit, my nerves were calmed when I saw you both walk through the door. I have the utmost faith that you both are more than qualified for the job. I'd only expected one wizard, and I got two of Fairy Tail's finest!" The man stopped abruptly then, coming to a realization.

"There are two of you! Oh, I'm sorry. When I sent out the request, I'd only expected one mage to respond, so I'd only reserved one room at the inn. If you talk to Trini on the way out, she'll sort it out for you. Surely there is something that—"

Laxus finally smiled at the man, finding his eccentric flailing funny. There was something about the man that reminded him of Gramps, albeit Sevoir was a hell of a lot more polite.

"It's not a problem. We typically don't get accommodations at all, so we'll manage fine."

Sevoir relaxed back into his easy smile. "That's a relief. I'm afraid I've never sent a formal wizard guild request before, so I'm unfamiliar with the protocol. I hope at least one of you can make use of the reservation, however. It's the least I can do."

"Will do," Laxus told him. "We'll see what we can do about your robbery in the meantime. Come on, Nat," he said, gesturing to Natsumi as he turned to go.

He stopped when she didn't respond.

Until now, Natsumi had been quiet, choosing to let Laxus 'call the shots,' as he'd said he would, but something else had stopped her from speaking. Something wasn't right here, she thought.

"Hey, Sevoir," she called out to the man, who laughed at her familiar address. "You said no one else is allowed here but you, right? You don't even let your maids in here or anything like that?"

He nodded. "Yes, that's right. As I told you, no one—"

"Well, someone's been here that ain't you," she claimed.

"And how the hell do you know that?" Laxus grumbled from behind her.

She turned to glare at him. "Because I can smell it. _Real_ dragon slayers know these things," she tacked on, knowing it would get under his skin.

Turning back to Sevoir, she explained. "Basically I picked up a few scents. I got you pretty well, since you're obviously the one who's in here most often. Then I got Laxus and me. But there's someone else that's been here since the last time the place's been cleaned."

Sevior looked stunned, turning to lean on one of the empty glass cases along the side of the room. "I don't mean to offend you, but are you absolutely certain?"

She nodded. The cinnamon sweet scent was noticeable, even if the trail was old. She'd recognize it again.

The man ran a hand along his face, suddenly looking his age.

"I'm not sure who could have gotten past my security…" he trailed off, sighing. "I can't believe someone in my household would betray me like this."

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet. It's true that someone else's been here. Natsumi's nose is almost always dead on. But we'll figure it out. In the meantime, you should beef up your security for the rest of your valuables. Magic is finicky if you don't know how to operate it." Laxus said. Natsumi smiled at his confidence in her. She knew what she'd smelled, but it felt good for him to be so sure of her abilities.

"I could always smell your maids, if you want," she offered, shrugging.

Sevoir's thick, dark eyebrows shot up and he stammered out a "Pardon?"

She didn't miss Laxus's questioning look, which she frowned at.

"Please, I'm not being weird. You're worried about people here betraying you, right? I could just give everyone a good sniff and we'll know for sure if they have or not. It'd be easy."

Sevoir blinked at her, uncomprehending. "So, you want to…smell my staff to exonerate them?"

Natsumi tilted her head. "What? No. I just want to prove 'em innocent!" She insisted, scratching the back of her head.

"That's what exonerate means, genius." Laxus scoffed.

She whirled around on him, waving a finger. "Listen here, you ball of static, I—"

"That is a fantastic idea!" Sevoir interrupted her would-be tirade by stepping between them. "Thank you for your generosity. I will have the household staff gather in the main hall and we'll see if we can't have this…err…smelling."

After a long explanation about the state of things by John Sevoir, each and every one of his staff lined up in the ballroom and systematically—as well as loudly— sniffed by Natsumi. However, after gauging the scents of each crusty butler and every blushing maid, right down to the frightened Trini, none of them carried the cinnamon smell that had been in the room.

"Ah, well, it was worth a shot," she said as they walked down the paved lane of the estate, having dismissed themselves with a promise to return in three days regardless of new information.

Laxus readjusted his pack, shaking his head. "That was weird, even for you. I thought some of those maids were going to faint or something."

"What? I was only smelling them!"

He laughed, "Take it from me. A hot chick pushes her face into your clothes, it doesn't matter who you are; it's going to make you feel a little hot around the collar."

"I was doing my job. It's not my fault you're all perverts." The dragon slayer crossed her arms. Stuff like that came part and parcel of being a mage. There wasn't any point in getting worked up for it, especially for random people she didn't know. It didn't have to be sexual unless you made it that way. But then again, the memory of Laxus inhaling the scent of her hair made her heartbeat quicken, so maybe he had a point after all.

"Anyway," she shook herself of the flashback, "it turned out to be a bust, so there's no use worrying about it."

"So you weren't holding out on me?"

Natsumi shook her head. "Whoever stole it out of the room definitely doesn't work at the estate. I wish the trail wasn't so old, or I could track it further, but outside the house, there's nothing. Even inside, it's faint everywhere but the hidden room, which is weird. It bugs me…"

Laxus grunted in understanding. "At least you'll know it if the trail comes up again. I guess it'll just be old fashion investigating until then. Which means a lot of running around aimlessly. I fucking hate that."

"You're the one who wanted to take this mission. I'd have been happy just fighting a horde of monsters, but you had to take the one with the huge reward."

His only response was to stick one of his legs between hers, sending her sprawling face-first on the ground. When she got up with as much dignity as she could muster, he was already halfway down the path back to the city, chortling to himself.

"Come back here so I can teach you a lesson!" she cried, running after him. She'd wipe that goofy smile off his face, even if she did love to hear him laugh.

* * *

 **Note:** For not being one of the longest chapters, I felt like quite a lot happened in this chapter. How do like Mr. John Sevoir? I had so much fun with a motion sick Laxus, by the way. I'm so mean to him, but I feel like I made up for it with all the self-indulgent fluff ^^. Anyway, let me know what you thought!

 **Next Chapter Preview:** We're Never Going to be Not-Fucked-Up, Are We?

 _"Do you mind explaining why you have birth control magic with you?"_


	16. We're Never Gonna be Not-Fucked-Up

**AN:** Am I a terrible person for not keeping my promise for an update a week? Probably, but I only missed it by a day! Shoo man, Halloween parties are killer. Anyway, last time we got to see the consequences of a train ride, the meeting of a rather...interesting client, and the aftermath of Lucy's mother-henning. This time...well, I don't call myself the queen of trash for nothing. Basically, if you're averse to rather mature scenes, you might want to just steer clear of most of this chapter. Writing it initially, I didn't think I'd ever have the gall to post something like this, but yet here we are.

Enjoy ;)

* * *

 **We're Never Going to be Not-Fucked-Up, Are We?**

Laxus had never been thrilled and horrified simultaneously, but he guessed there was a first time for everything. He felt it'd been both a sort of divine punishment and extreme stroke of luck when the Sevoir guy they were helping said he'd only reserved one room. Though he was worried about the possibility that Natsumi wouldn't be okay with sharing, he still wasn't moved to investigate other options. Not only was he too lazy to do so, but he'd be lying if he said a part of him hadn't been excited. Something else in him, though, knew that it was probably going to be a fucking disaster.

And so, when Natsumi threw open the door to their shared room that evening, threw her pack against a wall—spilling its contents everywhere—and sprawled out on the bed face down, he wasn't the least bit surprised.

Not ready to deal with her at that moment, he walked into the adjoining bathroom—thank God for that—and shut the door. He still hadn't gotten the chance to brush his teeth after blowing chunks on the train ride, anyway.

After he was done, he found Natsumi where he'd left her, except she'd managed to burrow under the covers this time, looking like a vaguely human-shaped lump with long pink hair sticking out of it. Sighing, he approached the bed and gave the lump a sharp poke.

"You take up so much space for someone so tiny. How are two of us going to fit in there when you're sprawled out like that?"

"That hurt, you know! That was my spine," she whined, voice muffled from underneath the comforter. Then, her head popped out, hair ruffled and in her face. The blonde thought it should be illegal to be that adorable, but that the other shoe was going to drop any second, reminding him that this was Nat—who couldn't go ten seconds without putting her foot in her mouth.

"And why are we sharing? Could a giant like you even fit in a normal bed?" And there it was.

"Sure, want to see?"

He swooped in and picked her up, blanket bundle and all, and dumped her on the floor. Then, he threw himself onto the bed. When she fought her way out of the mess of blankets, she scowled at him as she took in his posture: relaxing with both hands folded behind his head, complete with a devious smirk.

"Looks I fit just fine."

Natsumi's scowl continued even as the blankets pooled at her feet. "But how am _I_ going to fit, too?"

His gave her a mock-questioning look, "We're sharing? I thought you didn't want to."

"I'm not sleeping on the floor. Or under the bed. I had to do that once with Gray and it was so uncomfortable."

He wasn't even going to ask.

"So you're saying you want to share with me? Even though I'm a giant?" He really did try to reign in the smile on his face, but it was a pretty lost cause at this point.

She put her hands on her hips, still staring him down. "You are such an asshole."

"Yeah, sure. So are you going to admit it or not?" Laxus was determined to make her say it.

The pink-haired girl sighed heavily through her nose, blowing her hair out of her face. "Ugh, fiiiiine. I want to share the bed with you. Happy?"

"Very." Then he shot up and grabbed her again, this time pulling her onto the bed—and onto him. "See? You were bitching about nothing. We fit fine."

"But only if I'm pressed up against you," she mumbled, her breath coming in short bursts against his skin as she half-lay on top of him.

Laxus smirked at her. "Isn't that the kind of the point?"

He expected the punch that followed, though he wasn't yet used to the amount of actual power behind it.

"Whatever," she pouted, then followed it up with a much quieter "Maybe" that made him smile. She crawled off the bed then, going to her upended pack.

"I'm going to get a shower. Don't fall asleep while I'm gone 'cause you'll just take up all the room."

"You mean you take showers voluntarily?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows to look at her.

"Yes, I choose to shower! I'm not that gross!"

The blonde shrugged. "I guess I always figured Lucy had to hunt you down and toss you in or something."

Glaring, the dragon slayer stomped off to the bathroom, throwing sparks as she slammed the door. He laughed and felt himself relax into the mattress as he kicked off his shoes, thanking the heavens for some peace and quiet. That is, until he heard the shower turn on.

Natsumi was in there. In the shower. Naked, in the shower. Wet, naked, and in the shower.

Holy hell, how was he supposed to deal with shit like this? Maybe he really should've just gotten a second room. He'd only just managed to deal with the thought of sleeping next to her. As much as he wanted that, it still freaked him the fuck out. What if he got handsy while he was asleep? She definitely didn't seem like the type to appreciate that. But now, he'd realized he'd completely neglected to take into account that Natsumi would be naked a few feet away from him. All that separated them was the thin wooden door, and that was barely helping him reign in his imagination.

She'd probably be washing her hair now. And holy fuck he was _not_ going to go down that road.

He turned over on the mattress, groaning into one of the pillows. Needing something to occupy his hands—and his mind, for that matter—he got up to pick up the blankets Natsumi had shed when he'd dumped her on the ground. He'd just finished straightening them back on the bed when the shower door opened and flooded the room with steam.

Laxus waved a hand in front of his face to try and dissipate the cloud in front of him. "Jesus, did you try to boil yourself in there?"

"What? I always take hot showers."

"That's not hot, that's scalding. I don't know how your skin doesn't peel—what the fuck are you wearing?" he interrupted himself as took in her post-shower form, jaw dropping.

Oh no. No, no, no. She was not going to sleep next to him in what looked like only an oversized t-shirt. Even her beloved scarf was nowhere to be found. Sure, it was plenty long enough, but it still only fell to her thighs. To make matters worse, her tangled, wet hair was dripping all over the fabric, soaking the shoulders of the shirt. Laxus debating throwing himself into the bathroom and locking himself in, but there was no way there was any hot water left, and he'd be damned if that girl was going to make him suffer through a third cold shower in a week. He'd have to stand his ground. Only, he had no idea how he was going to pull that one off.

"Um, clothes?" she answered, as if it'd been obvious.

"That doesn't count as clothes. That is a shirt." And there was no way he was getting anywhere near her until she had more on, or at least something that wasn't rapidly becoming transparent.

"Yeah, it's a shirt. Lucy got me into it after I moved in with her. I used to just sleep in my bindings and my pants, but she said it wasn't healthy. Something about 'letting the puppies breathe' or whatever." She ignored the choking sound he made as he realized she really wasn't wearing anything underneath. "But she was right. It's much more comfortable to sleep like this, so I've done it ever since," the dragon slayer finished, yawning. She made to crawl up onto the bed, but Laxus intercepted her.

"You can't get into bed like that."

"Like _what_?" She glared at him, hands flat against the bed covers.

He gestured to her. Now she was being ridiculous. "Oh, well, I don't know, maybe because you're actually dripping! You're going to soak the bed, and I'm not sleeping like that." He played it off, not about to let her know the extent to which her lack of clothing got to him, or his libido.

"But it's too hard to brush my hair myself. There's too much of it, so I usually just let it dry like this." Which would explain why it usually looks the way it does, Laxus thought. "And Lucy isn't here to brush it for me," the girl whined.

"That's not my problem. I'm not letting you in this bed until you do something about it."

Natsumi whined. "But it won't work! I always get the brush stuck and it hurts!" Her lips pouted as he continued to glare at her from the other end of the bed. Then, her eyes lit up, her face taking on a sly grin. "But it usually never hurts if someone else does it for me…"

Laxus rolled his eyes. "I'm not fucking brushing your hair for you."

She crawled on the bed, then, evading his attempt to push her off. Gripping his arm, she looked up at the lightning mage through her eyelashes, pleading. "Please, Laxus? Then my hair would be drier and you know you'd like doing it anyway, so there's no point in being macho about it."

He cursed himself for being so easy to read. The lightning mage didn't want her to think he'd always do whatever she wanted, but she was right. The thought of helping her in that way felt oddly domestic that it sent a flood of possessiveness through him.

"Whatever. Just go towel off some more. I don't want to get dripped on." She got up, nodding enthusiastically. As she passed him to go to the bathroom, though, he grabbed her by the arm, bringing their gazes together. "And not a word of this to anyone, got it?"

Natsumi laughed, breaking his hold and skipping over to the bathroom.

"Lucy put a hairbrush in my bag somewhere! Would you get it?" she called to him, and he didn't bother to answer as he crossed the room to the pile of belongings that had spilled from her bad when she'd tossed it against the wall.

He dug through the bag, pulling out various trinkets and supplies in his search for the hairbrush she'd promised was there. His hands closed around the smooth wooden neck of a brush, but he was met with slight resistance as he went to pull it out. Tugging harder, the hairbrush came free, along with a few other objects. He went to call over to Natsumi that'd he'd found the damn thing and to get her ass out of the bathroom when a piece of paper caught his eye.

It was a note, he realized. It'd been magically affixed to a small, flat container about the width of his palm, and the force of his rifling had popped open the wax seal.

He knew he should probably leave it alone, but it's not like Natsumi was one to be bashful about sticking her nose into other people's business, so he figured she'd get over it if she found out. Laxus picked up the box and flipped open the paper, eyes widening and pulse quickening as he read pink, loopy letters so obviously penned by Heartfilia.

 _Some of the maids working at my dad's estate used to use these. Take one within four hours after_ _every time_ _you have sex, no exceptions. Remember what we talked about. I don't want to have little dragon slayers running around any time soon. Love, Lucy._

Birth control. The blonde had sent Natsumi on the job with birth control magic. He wasn't sure what he should be more surprised about: that Natsumi had agreed to take them with her, that she'd presumably talked to her friend about what'd happened between them, or that she even knew what the hell these were.

He was still in a state of shock when Natsumi emerged from the bathroom, towel still on her head.

"Hey, I'm ready! Wait, what's wrong with you?" she asked as she took in his stiff back and shoulders. He turned to face her and held up the box, the forgotten hairbrush in his other hand.

"Oh, you found those," she laughed, shrugging the towel off.

His eyebrows shot up, not bothering to disguise how floored he was.

"Do you mind explaining why you have birth control magic with you?"

Another shrug from the dragon slayer. "Lucy insisted I take them with me. After I told her about what happened at the guild, she said that since I was ready to have sex, I should be prepared for it. She can be scary when she wants to be."

"Wait. You want to have sex? Seriously?"

The smaller girl tugged on one of the sleeves of the shirt, sending it further down her exposed shoulder. Laxus stopped his eyes from trailing down the new flash of skin. He couldn't let himself be distracted by her right now, not when it was so important.

"Yeah? I thought you knew? I mean, after what happened and everything." She took in his surprised expression, how he still hadn't relaxed since she came back into the room. "Did you not want to? I just thought that—"

"Of course I want to. I'm pretty sure you could have asked me any time within the past forever and I would've been down for it."

"Then why are you acting like this?!" She asked, huffing in frustration.

"Because up until thirty seconds ago, I wasn't sure that _you_ wanted to. I mean, I didn't want to make you feel like you had to or that I expected anything, given my history." He approached her, dropping both the brush and the box at the foot of the bed so he could rest both hands on her shoulders. "It's not exactly the most normal thing to move so quickly. I didn't want to push it since it's only been a few days."

She leaned into him, then, and he could feel the sound of her laughter against his chest.

"I guess stuff like that never really mattered to me. Everyone makes a big deal of sex and love and relationships, but I never understood it. I just want to do what feels right, even if it's not 'normal.'"

"It's easy to say that when you don't have anything to compare it to."

Natsumi looked up at him, hair a mess and eyes sparkling.

"Well… you love me, right? And have for a really long time?" she winked, and he struggled to not look away in embarrassment. He nodded. It was true, even if he couldn't pinpoint when the need to take care of her had shifted into the need to…to love her. That didn't mean he still was totally comfortable with her so cavalierly bringing it up, though.

"And I love you, even if it took me a long time to realize why it bothered me so much when I thought you didn't see me as an equal." Natsumi grabbed hold of the sides of his coat, tugging on it gently as she looked down.

"So I don't want to waste any more time. If we'd both tried actually listening to each other instead of getting angry and hurt all the time, maybe we could have been like this a lot sooner. I guess I just don't want to wait for everything because I feel like we already have. Not that I'd care either way, but still."

Laxus moved a hand under her chin to tilt her head up to him. He bent down, brushing his lips against hers. She responded in kind, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"If you're sure," he murmured against her lips, and he received all the confirmation he'd needed when she licked his lips, pressing further into him.

He wasn't about to question her as he smiled into her mouth, moving to pick her up. He'd wasted so much time trying to act in her best interests without her permission, and it'd made them both miserable. If she wanted this, wanted him, who was he to deny her?

* * *

Natsumi hadn't expected tonight to go like this, but she wasn't about to start complaining. She'd decided that she wanted Laxus, although she knew that he'd probably be weird about it if she just blurted it out.

He'd definitely been holding back, she thought as he kissed her. Natsumi liked kissing him before. Loved it, even. She loved the way he always made her feel tingly and open, loved the way his scent filled her nose and filled her brain with the heavy beat of her own pulse. But this, this was different. Laxus had been passionate before, but never aggressive. But now, she couldn't think of any other words in her limited vocabulary to describe the way he was kissing her now, nipping at her lips and sliding his tongue past hers to explore her mouth. It was like all the other feelings he'd brought out in her before were multiplied tenfold, and she felt like she couldn't get enough air in her lungs, but she couldn't—didn't want to—break away.

He was dominating her, she realized, and while part of her preened at the treatment, an even deeper part of her growled at the challenge. Not wanting to be outdone, she pulled away roughly and went for his neck, repaying the treatment he'd given her the day before. He groaned loudly and grabbed the edge of the shirt she was wearing with one hand and her hair with the other, making her smirk as she took hold of his coat and tugged it from his shoulders.

He groaned again and reluctantly set her down, shrugging the coat off and letting it pool at his feet, forgotten. Not giving her a chance to respond further, he picked her up and flung her onto the bed.

She hit the pillows laughing. Sitting up to push her damp hair out of her face, her laughter abruptly stopped when she took him in. He stood at the foot of the bed, staring at her with a hungry look in his orange eyes. Her breath caught as he made no move to join her on the bed.

He quelled the question on her lips as he reached behind him and pulled his shirt over his head in a practiced movement, revealing the defined muscles decorating his stomach and chest and the intricate tattoo that framed his guild mark. Natsumi's mouth went dry, the urge to go and touch him, perhaps run her tongue over the thick black lines, suddenly overwhelming. She'd missed the opportunity to at the river, where she'd been so distracted by the new development that was kissing to appreciate him pressed up against her. The dragon slayer was determined to not miss it a second time. She crawled toward him as he chucked his shirt away, reaching out a hand to touch the firm muscles right above his belly button, trailing her hand up and over each indentation of his abdomen.

Laxus gasped as her hand made its way over his pecs and up to his collarbone. She scrambled to her knees before him, and he let out a deep, rumbling moan when she replaced her hand with her mouth, suckling on the space right above his heart and moving downward. Natsumi began lapping at his skin and smiled when he wound his hands in her hair. She loved the sounds he was making, low and wanting as he stood before her, letting her do as she pleased. The smell of his skin was even more potent when he was shirtless, and it made her want to feel more of him, made her want to feel him touch her.

He answered her unspoken wish when he unraveled his hands from her hair and took hold of her waist, yanking her up to him so he could kiss her. His embrace was careful, but she found she couldn't move easily as he pulled her against him, nipping at the exposed skin that her large t-shirt afforded him.

From her standing position on the bed, she stood taller than him, and her mind clouded further when he began running his hands down her sides, sliding gentle fingers down her hips and thighs. They both gasped when his hands met bare flesh instead of soft cotton.

Laxus grabbed hold of her thighs, bringing her down to wrap her legs around his middle. As she did so, he licked up the side of her neck, past the long-healed scar there, ending his journey at the shell of her ear. She shivered against him as he flicked it with his tongue, both from the unexpected jolt of warmth that shot through her and from the humid feeling of his labored breathing puffing against her.

He moved to the bed, then, lying them both on the mattress. As he loomed over her, he ran a hand up her thigh, under the shirt. The motion, so gentle in contrast to the hardness of his kisses, had her arching up into his touch. His heart stopped, though, when he reached her hip and felt no additional fabric.

"Jesus fuck," he wheezed, pulling back to look her in the eyes, nearly losing it as she regarded him with a heady look he hadn't seen before. "Was not wearing underwear part of this whole plan of yours?"

She shook her head, running her hands down his back, admiring the firmness of the muscles and how they unconsciously tightened at her touch. "No, I just don't usually wear any, why?" she sighed out.

He only groaned and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a curse, leaning in to claim her mouth again.

His hand continued on its path, tickling up her side before stopping right under her right breast. She moaned into their kiss as his thumb tentatively stroked her nipple. The lightning mage pulled back to smirk at her as he repeated the motion, watching her close her eyes and squirm.

Natsumi whined as he pulled his hand back down and out from underneath her shirt. She frowned up at him before he silenced her with a wink. Then, he grabbed the edge of the shirt and pushed it up. She lifted her hips to help him, then her arms and shoulders as he divested her of her clothing.

"Fuck, Nat," he drawled out, eyelids heavy as he took in her form. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

He didn't bother waiting for her answer before leaning forward and taking one of her rosy nipples into his mouth, laving it with his tongue.

"Ah!" she cried out, her hands shooting up to grab at his shoulders, his hair, anything she could reach. She'd never felt anything like the sharp, shooting flickers of pleasure he was inflicting upon her, and she couldn't control her hips as they rocked forward against him.

He hummed, the vibrating sensation causing her to moan again. His other hand stroked her side, holding her hip down in an iron grip. She bucked against him impotently, the throbbing between her legs growing more unbearable with every flick of his tongue.

Shushing her, he switched breasts, making her cry out anew. His thumb rubbed comforting circles into the small swell of her hip.

Natsumi couldn't stand it. She grabbed his shoulders, tugging upward with all the strength she could muster. He acquiesced, releasing her nipple from his mouth after one final lick. They locked eyes, Natsumi gazing at his slightly swollen lips, his hungry expression, before she leaned up and kissed him once more.

She could feel all of him now. The evidence of his arousal pressed hard and heavy against her thigh, and she moved her hips into him. His answering groan had her inhaling hard through her nose. Her hand travelled to the front of his pants, fumbling with their button before he grabbed her wrist.

"Wait a sec," he ground out.

"I don't want to," she shimmed down and bucked again, and they both moaned loudly when she ground directly against his erection.

"Shit!" he sucked in a breath and leaned up, grabbing both her hips and forcing them back down into the mattress. "Hold on, okay? If I try to get inside you now, it's going to hurt. Let me do my job and make you feel good." He looked into her eyes with a seriousness that she couldn't ignore. She was confused, though.

"But isn't it supposed to hurt the first time? Mira and Cana always said—"

He laughed and leaned in to give her a chaste kiss. "Then Mira and Cana obviously don't know shit about good sex. Trust me, it's not supposed to hurt if it's done right. So let me do it right. Please?"

Natsumi wasn't entirely convinced, but he looked so intent that she didn't argue, giving him a nod and a small smile.

His answering smile was blinding, all teeth and glinting eyes. Happy, he leaned back down, dropping kisses from the corner of her mouth to her breasts to her navel, not missing the way her stomach muscled clinched as he moved.

The girl below him wasn't sure what she was in for, but was happy to go along with him for once if this was what she got as a reward. She squirmed as she felt his hands trail down to her hips once again, but failed to stop this time. When one hand got to her knee, it retraced its path on the inner side of her thigh, creeping up until fingers brushed against the space between her legs.

She moaned as he stroked her, fingers gliding easily through her folds.

"So much for needing to prepare you," he mumbled against her stomach, nuzzling her, not bothering to hide the husky tone of his voice, "you're already soaked." He punctuated the statement with a growl against her skin, his fingers moving.

Then, Natsumi felt a spasm of pleasure rock through her, her hips rocking against him as he stroked a place near the front of her.

"What the hell was _that_?" she squeaked, head looking down at what he was doing to her. He looked up as well, stopping his ministrations but smirking at Natsumi with a knowing expression.

"You should've paid better attention to Mira and Cana if you don't know where your clit is. But the good news is," he kissed her belly button, then peppered kisses down to the inside of her thighs. She felt his breathing hit her wetness and held her breath as he locked eyes with her once more. "that what I'm about to do is going to feel fucking amazing, and I get the added bonus of watching you for the first time."

Then he gave her a long lick, ending it with a sharp flick of her clit.

He had to hold her down to stop her from coming off the bed as she keened, digging her hands into the bedsheets.

She slammed her head back down to the bed as he continued, lapping at her. He alternated between the long, languid strokes he'd started with and sharp, little flicks at her clit that had her crying out.

He placed an arm over her to keep her stationary. It proved necessary when she felt his tongue go _inside_ her and she bucked violently, head thrashing from one side to another as she moaned out.

She felt his free hand massaging her thigh, moving ever closer to her center. She didn't know where Laxus learned to do this with his mouth and she didn't care, but she was grateful as he moved back to suck softly on her clit and stroke at her with his fingers. She didn't think it could get any better when he slid in a long finger, curling it inside her.

The new pressure inside of her felt foreign, but she couldn't stop the breathy, raspy sounds that came from her. She felt hot all over, and the tingling, warm feeling inside of her had moved to pool between her legs where Laxus had taken up residence. Daring to look up, she gasped as she found Laxus looking back, keeping her gaze as he slid another finger into her, giving her clit another firm lick.

It was too much. The throbbing, warm feeling that had grown inside her gave way as she came with a scream, the motion of his fingers moving wet and fast inside her the only thing she could think about.

His fingers didn't slow, and before she could tell him to stop, her body twitched again, drawing out another long moan from her. Only then did he remove his fingers. She whined as she felt them move out of her, already missing the full, stretched feeling they'd gifted her with.

She opened her eyes as he moved back up her body. Laxus smiled from above her, stroking her hair with his clean hand.

"Okay?" he asked, still smiling his golden smile—the one, she realized with a warm flush—just for her.

She only nodded, pulling him down to kiss her. He tasted different now, she noticed. Still like Laxus, but saltier, muskier. He tasted of her, she thought with a blush.

Laxus groaned into her mouth, moving to grind against her for the first time. The feeling of his erection against her sensitive flesh was different than either his tongue or his fingers, but the tingling sensation that it brought her made her eager to be with him as she'd first wanted.

Her shaking hands once again moved down his chest, ignoring the way he drew in a breath as she did so. She tugged lightly on the waistband of his pants in question, and this time he didn't stop her.

With some effort, she popped the button on his pants, and tugged them as far as she could. Laxus took over then, pulling away from her to move off the bed. He quickly removed the rest of his clothes as she watched him, still sprawled out against the bed. He was beautiful. She'd already known it, but seeing him naked brought the thought to the forefront of her mind. Bulky and tall, Natsumi couldn't imagine anything more attractive. She let her eyes travel down the familiar planes of his chest and stomach, then to his hips.

She'd known what penises looked like. From snippets of half-heard conversations between guild members, as well as from several of Gray's more embarrassing episodes, she knew that they were supposed to be long and floppy, and got hard for sex. Natsumi never remembered any woman at the guild describe one as pretty, but they were supposed to feel good. She'd heard many complaints, mainly from Cana, about small penises being a bad thing.

Though she didn't have anything to compare it to, she figured Laxus's was probably pretty big. He was a big guy, and it seemed to suit his size. It stuck out from a bed of golden curls that matched the hair on his head, the tip rose red and slightly shiny. She didn't know if she would say it was pretty; not the way that Laxus himself was pretty, at least. But staring at it made her feel flushed all over, the throbbing between her legs starting all over again.

She rubbed her thighs together, surprised at the feeling of moisture between them.

He interrupted her by reaching over and prying them back open, returning to his position over her. She felt one of his hands return to between her legs, and Laxus groaned as her buried his face in her neck.

"Yeah, you're ready," he puffed out against her skin, sliding a finger back into her quickly. She yelped, thrusting up. She whined in frustration when the finger was gone as soon as it had come.

"Then do it!" she yelled at him, tugging on his hair. He laughed, telling her to be patient as he brought their hips together, rubbing his erection into her wetness.

"Fuck, okay. Give me a minute," he ground out, taking a firm grip on her hips and flipping them. Natsumi blinked as she found herself on top of the lightning mage.

"It'll be better if you're on top the first time. Just go slow and it won't hurt. I promise. If it does, stop for a minute."

"Won't that be hard for you?" Her mind flashed to an overheard conversation between Max and Jet.

He laughed, then gasped as that caused him to rub up against her again. "Nah. I'll be fine. I'm not the blushing virgin here."

She flushed pink in anger, hitting him in the head.

"You're lucky you're attractive," she bit out as she reached under her, gripping him and bringing it to her entrance. She might not have known about her clit, but she knew the logistics of sex, having been curious enough to go poking down there a time or two.

"Don't I know it," he agreed, letting out a deep sigh as she sat down on his erection, the head slipping easily inside her.

As Natsumi inched down, she could immediately feel the difference between his penis and his fingers. His fingers hadn't made her feel this stretched, this full. It was a weird feeling, but not necessarily painful. She took his advice about going slow, though. As she moved, there was a feeling of pressure inside her, which she figured was normal since it wasn't like anything had been up there before, and it increased as she took him further in.

After several seconds, he was fully seated in her, and she rocked her hips experimentally, not really sure what to do now. A gasp beneath her brought her attention back to Laxus, whose head was tilted back into the pillows, teeth clenched.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

He sucked in a breath and looked up at her. "I should be the one asking you that."

She tilted her hips again, finding that she liked the pressure inside as he filled her. "I'm okay. It doesn't hurt."

Laxus smiled. "Told you." He tightened his grip on her hips, then, and thrust up into her.

She cried out.

"Do that again," she commanded, and the smirk that grew on his face was devilish.

"Whatever you say," he said, and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her down on him as he set a powerful rhythm, thrusting up into her slow and deep.

She mewled against him, unable to stop herself as she tried to match his movements, wanting to feel him press deep into her and then pull out, wet and warm and hard.

Laxus wasn't much better. He didn't think he'd ever been with anyone as small as Natsumi, and he hadn't expected the tightness that awaited him. His happiness at not having hurt her was overtaken by his desire to make her come again, to make her fall apart with the breathy screams that he'd only just discovered. It was proving a greater challenge than he'd anticipated. He hadn't expected her to take her position on top so seriously. She grinded on him like she'd been made for it, and he could barely reign in the desire to flip her over and pound into her until they were both spent.

Laxus was experienced, but he felt decidedly out of his element now. He'd fucked a bunch of girls, some even more than once, but he'd never seriously cared for them, even if he'd liked them fine enough as people. He hadn't loved them. But as he watched Natsumi respond to every upward thrust of his hips with eyes clenched shut and lips parted, he was completely unprepared for the swell of masculine pride welling up in him. He wanted to make her feel good. He wanted to see her make the same blissful face she'd made when she'd orgasmed for him as many times as she'd let him.

This amazing, feisty, reckless, beautiful girl had decided to let him love her, and he was not going to disappoint her ever again. He'd spend the rest of his life proving that to himself and to her. With this, he leaned up, his hands on her back to support her. Laxus then gripped her hips, lifting her up and bringing her hard onto his cock. She squealed, and he quelled it with a hard kiss. He repeated it, loving how she shuddered and clenched around him. He was determined to make her come again, especially since he knew he wasn't going to be able to hold himself back much longer.

The blonde let go of his hold on her, groaning as she took over once more, riding him with all the vigor that she used with everything else. He really should have expected that she'd take to sex just as she took to fighting. Except for this, he'd be willing to take her anytime. God, he really was not going to be able to hold on.

Deciding to take action, he snaked an arm between them, finding her clit easily. He rubbed it hard, and she cried out, picking up her pace on top of him. Laxus felt her muscles contract around him, stealing the breath from his lungs. She was close.

He gripped her hair and tilted her head back, leaning forward to take one of her nipples into his mouth. The blonde laved it with his tongue, picking up the pace of his fingers against her. With a few more hard thrusts of his hips, she came apart around his cock, screaming out before yanking him up so she could kiss him. He swallowed her sounds, loving her responsiveness. This girl was going to kill him.

She dug her fingernails into his shoulders, and he lost it, releasing himself in her with one last thrust. He kept her firmly against him, wanting the feeling of her milking him to last as long as possible.

Panting, they pulled apart after several moments. He rested his head on her shoulder, smiling tiredly.

He dropped a kiss onto her collarbone, rubbing up and down her arms.

"Questions? Comments?" he joked. A small part of him couldn't quell his nervousness, though. He hadn't been self-conscious about sex in years, but everything felt new with Natsumi. He felt like the sixteen year old tool he'd been, trying to ask the girl he'd just fucked if he did a good job. But he hadn't just fucked Nat. He'd loved her, and he wanted for her to have enjoyed it for more than just the sake of his pride.

She responded by snuggling close to him, pushing him back to the bed. Hugging him close, she made a humming nose against him, nuzzling his neck with her nose.

"You smell so good when you're sweaty. When can we do it again?"

He laughed, then winced as he moved inside her. As much as he wanted to stay where he was, he was too sensitive after just coming. Rolling them over onto their sides, he gently removed himself from her, and she sighed when she felt him slip out.

"Maybe later," he told her as he brought her close once more. "The curse of being male. I'd give it another half hour."

"Hmm," she said, leaning away so she could examine him. "It's even kind of big when it's not hard." Natsumi tilted her head, squinting at his flaccid cock.

Laxus laughed harder. "Thanks, I guess. But stop running away," he chastised as he tugged her back again. "I guess if we're going again soon, there's no point in me showering." He thought aloud. "Though I should still get some towels. You're not going to want to be moving anytime soon."

She scoffed beside him. "I'm not that sore."

"That's not what I meant, though I'm glad." He kissed her cheek, then got up to head to the bathroom. "I just came inside you. Some stays in there, but not all of it. It's got to go somewhere," he gave her a pointed once over, smirking as she followed his gaze to between her legs. She flushed and looked back at him. "Get it now?"

Natsumi only nodded and watched as he disappeared into the bathroom, wondering if she could get Laxus to be naked all the time. His backside was just as pretty as the rest of him.

He hadn't been kidding. After he'd returned, it took all of ten minutes for the excess of his ejaculate to come dripping out, to her mild shock. She hadn't realized there'd been so much of it. Laxus had only laughed and tossed her one of the hand towels he'd brought, as well as one of Lucy's pills.

But that hadn't stopped her from pulling him on top of her again as soon as he gave the okay, telling him she wanted to be on the bottom this time.

Laxus was only too happy to oblige.

* * *

 **Note:** So yeah. That happened. Hopefully no one is too emotionally scarred, but these two have been heading this way for like...ever, so I don't think it should come as too much of a surprise. As always, I'd love it if you let me know what you thought. Reviews always make me feel all tingly inside.

 **Next Chapter Preview:** Strictly (Funny) Business

 _His dick was really pissing him off right now_ _._


	17. Strictly (Funny) Business

**AN:** Hey guys! I'm so so happy at the positive response to the last chapter (even if I'm still sort of embarrassed at having even written something like that). Anyway, so last time we got that...plot development, and this time we get back to the subplot of the missing amulet shard! I had so much fun writing this part of the story, since I wanted them to actually face a legitimate challenge together.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Strictly (Funny) Business**

Laxus blinked the light filtering in from the window out of his eyes. He felt stiff, and he stretched out like a cat, feet pushing past the lower edge of the bed. A familiar tingling at the base of his spine soon reminded him of the previous night's events and snapped him out of his groggy state, however. Turning his head, he saw a familiar head of cherry blossom hair peeking out from under the covers.

He smiled, turning on his side to look at the girl beside him. She looked even smaller than she normally managed to when she was asleep. Her face was serene, her naked back rising evenly in sleep as she lay on her stomach.

Last night had been amazing. It'd been nothing like his previous experiences, and he realized that actually loving the person you were with made all the difference. And he did love her, even the unruly, goofy parts of her that most people assumed were her entire personality.

She really was beautiful. He reached out to place a hand flat on her back, feeling it rise as she inhaled, but otherwise gave no response. Aside from the scar on her side from her battle with Future Rogue, her skin was porcelain smooth, and he smiled when he remembered how he'd paid attention to every inch of her last night. He'd started at the jut of her collarbones, to the modest swells of her breasts, down the taper of her waist, finally ending at the sharp flare of her hipbones. God, her hips. They were now his favorite part of her. She wasn't big-chested or extremely curvaceous, but she did have some killer hips. They'd suited his hands perfectly as he'd grabbed them to bring her closer. Always closer.

He leaned to press a soft kiss on her head. She smelled even better than normal. Her hair held the same smoky scent that it usually did, but after last night, she smelled exactly like the bed they'd shared: she smelled like him.

And just like that, he was hard again. He looked down at the offending appendage, cursing its avarice with an exasperated glare. It wasn't like it hadn't had more than its fair share already. After her initial demand for an encore performance, they'd both fallen asleep, only for her to wake him up several hours later to ride him again in the darkness of the room. They'd only just managed to make sure she swallowed more pills in between sex and sleep.

Which is why his dick was really pissing him off right now.

Cursing his body, he tried to get out of bed, only to hear a muffled groan as Natsumi entered the land of the living.

His eyes stayed glued to her as she arched up, bending backwards as she groaned, a smile of her face. He really needed to go shower, otherwise he was just going to end up attacking her and they'd never actually get around to the job they'd come here for.

She turned to him. "Morning," she smiled, all bright eyes and teeth. Her rumpled appearance did little to help his internal struggle.

"Morning," he answered, frowning when she laughed at him.

She moved to a sitting position, completely unashamed of her nudity. "I like your morning voice," she explained. "It's more rumbly than usual."

He stood up, keeping his back to her. "I guess I never noticed before."

"Where are you going?"

"Shower. We've got to get out and start finding leads, and I didn't take one last night."

"Oh. Can I come, too?"

This girl really was trying to kill him. Either that, or drain him dry.

"No. If you come, we'll just waste the day away."

He heard laughter from behind him, then almost fell forward as she launched herself on his back, latching on piggyback style.

"Please? I need one, too," she kissed his neck.

Laxus let out a breath. Someone had to be the voice of reason here, and he thought it was a sorry state of things when he was the one to whom that role fell. "No, you don't. You smell fine."

"You mean I smell like you? You kept scenting me last night. It might make you more aggressive if I don't wash it off."

What the fuck?

"Scenting?" he asked skeptically as he went to his pack to get a change of clothes, her still clinging to him.

"Yeah! When the male rubs his scent on the female to mark his territory. Igneel told me about it once. But it'd be really inconvenient if you start trying to fight everyone that gets near me."

"Sorry, Nat, but I don't think dragon sex ed counts in this situation," he said in a flat voice. Of course, Natsumi would think that humans worked the same as dragons. He rolled his eyes as he pulled out a clean shirt.

"But why are you hard then?" She asked.

Laxus froze. Now they were in trouble.

"Because you're sexy? Because you're pressed against me? Because you were naked when I woke up and you happen to smell good? Take your pick."

"But!" he interrupted as she went to try to talk him into another round. "We've got shit to do today, and it's already pretty late."

"And you have to shower?" she asked, finally dropping down from his back. He sighed in relief at having won.

"Yes. Just sit tight for a few minutes okay? We'll grab food and then get started."

She looked at him evenly for a few seconds, before shooting forward, grabbing his clothes, and sprinting for the bathroom. He tried to grab her, but she was too fast. The bathroom door flew open as she cackled, dropping his things and hopping into the shower stall.

"Come on, Laxus! You're wasting time!" she accused as she started the shower, finally out of his line of sight.

He sighed. If they lost out on part of the reward for taking too long, it was coming out of her cut.

Then again, he thought as he looked down, he _was_ hard, and if he had a choice between his hand and the soft, supple body of the girl he loved, he'd choose Natsumi any day.

They were an hour late to breakfast, but Laxus grudgingly admitted it'd been worth it when he got to take Natsumi against the wall of the shower, both of them panting under the scalding spray as he'd held her in his arms.

* * *

"Damn it! I know they know something!" Natsumi screamed, kicking a nearby trashcan. Laxus agreed.

They'd spent the afternoon at the archaeology guild that had helped Sevoir find the amulet shard. After several days of asking around town about artifact dealers, traveling merchants, and even black market contacts, they'd come up empty. They'd checked in with John Sevoir as they'd promised, both disappointed that they had nothing to report to the kindly older man. He'd been downcast, but optimistic, stating that he still had the utmost faith in two of Fairy Tail's best. When they'd asked if he had any other thoughts about who could give them information regarding the artifact, he'd pointed them to Eagle Eye, the guild that he'd hired to help him on the dig.

Their guild master had been polite and attentive, but had said they only helped the aristocrat unearth it before turning it over to him and receiving their standard finder's fee. The story had checked out, but like Natsumi, Laxus thought something was off.

"They might know something, but that doesn't mean they took the amulet. You said it yourself that the place was clean." She'd combed every inch of the guild hall for the scent of the intruder, but had come up empty. No one that matched that scent had been in the guild hall for several weeks, from what her nose could tell.

It didn't make sense. If it hadn't been Eagle Eye, then they were back to square one. With no leads and no suspects, their chances of finding the thief were dwindling by the hour. As it was, the job felt like a vacation more than anything. The amount of time they'd spent in bed was proof enough of that. However, even with the copious amounts of sex, both of them were frustrated at their lack of success.

"I say we go back there and _make_ them tell us. That old guy looked spooked already. It wouldn't be hard to make him talk!" she growled as flames crackled at her fingertips.

"As much as I'd enjoy that, I'm not explaining to Gramps about why I let you burn down their guild hall. Plus, I'm not paying for that shit, so cool it. Literally." He put a hand on her head, ruffling her hair as she huffed, but relented.

"But I know that there's something up with them! They might know who did it even if they didn't. There has to be a way to way to get them to talk…"

As she talked, an idea struck Laxus, and he smiled at her. "There is a way. We stake out Eagle Eye and we tail their Master. I agree that he was too jittery for comfort. If we follow him, maybe he'll lead us somewhere useful."

Natsumi whooped, springing up to hug the tall blonde.

"No matter what people say, you're pretty smart Laxus! Let's do it."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

She grabbed his wrist and took off running, heedless of his reaction to her inadvertent insult. "Nothing! Just follow me. I've got the perfect idea!"

Natsumi's 'perfect idea' saw both of them peering out from behind the florist's shop across the street from Eagle Eye's guild hall that night, draped in black cloaks over their street clothes. Laxus looked down at Natsumi, who'd insisted on winding her scarf around her head like a ninja. He grumbled to himself about her antics, glad that the rest of the Thunder Legion wasn't around to see him bend to her will like this. He'd tried to tell her that he wasn't about to dress like some cat burglar when he was Laxus Dreyar and he had some goddamn dignity—and he'd spent a lot of money on that coat and wanted to get his money's worth—but the little shit had just smiled and gone down on him and before he knew it, he was agreeing to wear the damn thing. As time passed, he grew increasingly suspicious about her self-proclaimed lack of experience. He hadn't even had to warn her about teeth. She just got down and sucked like a pro, and he was putty in her hands. The little shit was devious, he knew, but he was still learning the depths that she'd sink—literally—to get her way. He kind of loved it.

Regardless, they were waiting for Eagle Eye's master to leave for the night.

"This is so boring," Natsumi complained, pulling her scarf down from where she'd wound it over her mouth.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Of course it is. That's kind of the point."

"Still," she continued on, "I thought being a ninja was going to be more exciting. Jumping from rooftops and taking out bad guys in the dark. Stuff like that."

"We're following an old guy who doesn't even have magic. Something tells me we're not going to get anywhere close to that kind of action." Sadly, he thought. But he wasn't about to tell her that. Keeping with their luck, rain drops began to fall, soon gathering into a steady downpour and soaking them both through the fabric of their cloaks.

However, they didn't have to wait much longer. The lights in the guild hall went off, and shortly after that, the master emerged, ambling down the steps and setting off down the street, umbrella overhead. Natsumi started after him, but Laxus yanked her back by the neck of her cloak. She wasn't stealthy on the best of days, and he wasn't about to let her go charging after that guy. It was ironic, he thought, how he was twice her size and probably moved with more grace than she did.

After giving the man a head start, he motioned for her to follow him, and they made their way after him, making sure to keep to the shadows. They followed him for about a mile, before they saw him approach the door to an old, but large and well-maintained house. He inserted a key into the door, and disappeared inside.

This time, Natsumi didn't wait for Laxus. She shot out of the bushes they'd been hiding in and ran across the cobblestone street to peer in the windows. She saw the old man sitting at a kitchen table with his head in his hands, a young woman sitting across from him.

Laxus caught up to her, about to chew her out for going off on her own before she shushed him with a finger over her hips. He glared, but didn't respond as he followed her gaze to the window.

"Apparently Sevoir managed to lose the Amulet Shard," they heard the man groan through the window.

The young woman was visibly startled, her chair rattling as she shot up. "What? How?"

"I don't know," the old man replied, not moving from his defeated position. "But he thinks Eagle Eye is responsible. He even sent two mages to the guild hall today to sniff around…literally." He sighed, sinking further into his chair. "I thought all this ugly business was behind me."

The girl smiled sympathetically. "I know, Grandpa. But I'm sure they know that you'd never stoop so low."

"You don't know Sevoir, Priscilla. If he thinks the guild is responsible, it'll only be a matter of time before he exacts revenge, regardless of our past friendship."

Laxus and Natsumi looked at each other, trying to reconcile what the old master was saying about John Sevoir with what they knew about the amicable man.

The girl, Priscilla, walked over to him and sat a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure it will all work itself out. Just try to get some sleep, alright? I left some dinner on the stove for you."

He covered her hand with his own, giving his granddaughter a thin smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Grandpa. Everything will seem brighter then."

Nodding, he stood up to see her out. The mage duo shrunk against the wall and moved out of sight as the occupants of the house moved toward the front door.

The door opened, and Priscilla stepped out, waving at her grandfather.

"Say hello to your mother for me," the master told her.

"I will. Take care!"

The door closed behind her, and as she walked away, Natsumi stiffened.

" _Laxus_ ," she hissed, stepping out from the shadows, "that's her! She's the thief! I can smell her!"

He nodded, following the fire dragon slayer.

Natsumi unwound her scarf from around her face, spilling out her long, wet hair. "We have to go after her!"

"Then stop talking and let's go!" he snapped at her, walking towards the suspect's rapidly retreating figure.

Natsumi surged forward to call out to the girl, but Laxus swept a hand over her mouth to quell the sound. She broke away to glare at him. "What was that for? It's not like we couldn't catch her!"

"We don't know that for sure! Now shut up and be quiet!"

"That's the same thing!" she whispered viciously.

The girl turned around then, and the arguing wizards barely managed to duck into a nearby alley to avoid her notice.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she asked, nervousness evident in her tone.

Laxus glared at Natsumi, choosing to ignore his own part in getting their mark's attention.

They waited for several seconds, but when no one came to investigate, they chanced a look out of the alley, then balked.

"What the fuck? Where'd she go?" Laxus cursed. Priscilla was nowhere to be found.

"She could've just made a turn or something?" Natsumi offered, but she doubted it.

"Into a random alley? There's nothing else on this street for blocks. She's gone."

"I told you we should've gone after her!" the small girl yelled.

"You think that would've helped? She's obviously using magic. She could be a teleportation mage for all we know," he defended himself. He doubted they could've caught the girl in a dead chase if she could choose to disappear anyway.

"But if she could teleport, how could I smell traces of all through Sevoir's house? Sure, it wasn't a lot, but if she could just zap in and out, why would I smell her? It was like she just walked in…SHIT!" she shouted and ran out of the alley, not looking back.

"What the hell are you doing?! Get back here!" Laxus yelled. They needed to regroup and come up with another plan, maybe come back tomorrow night to see if the master's granddaughter showed up again. But Natsumi paid him no attention, darting to and fro across the street with a frustrated look on her face.

"If it wasn't raining, this'd be easy," he heard her mumble to herself as she sniffed the air.

"Will you please relax and explain to me what the fuck you're freaking out about?"

"There's no time! If I get the scent we have to go!" She jogged further down the street, and was suddenly off like a shot, shouting at him to follow her.

Even if this wasn't a dangerous job, he'd still strangle her later for leaving him behind. That girl was going to get herself killed one of these days acting like that.

He sprinted after her for several blocks, wiping the rain out of his eyes. He saw her turn off onto one of the first residential streets, then disappear. Before he could worry about losing her entirely, a savage battle cry of "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" erupted from somewhere up ahead. Speeding up, he followed the sounds of a struggle, and found Natsumi engaged in battle with…absolutely nothing.

Laxus stared as Natsumi shot fire at thin air near the edge of an embankment beside an apartment building.

"Show yourself, coward!" she screamed, lighting up the immediate area in a shower of crimson flames.

A yelp sounded from somewhere to Natsumi's right, and the dragon slayer was on it immediately, throwing herself at the sound with the all the force of a wrecking ball and sending herself flying down the embankment.

He watched as Natsumi tussled, finally coming to a rest with her arms around a space of empty air.

"Dispell it or I'll roast you!" she growled as she spat mud out of her mouth.

Laxus jumped down the small ravine to join the dragon slayer and her catch just as Priscilla appeared in between Natsumi's arms, sighing.

"Invisibility magic. No wonder she just walked in and took the damn thing." Laxus remarked as he stared down at the captured thief. "Good job, Nat."

She beamed at him. "Yeah, well, I knew you'd be no help since you can't smell for shit."

He glared, but didn't want to bicker in front of the girl in Natsumi's hold.

"So," he began, turning the force of his sour expression on the thief. He wanted to get this over with so he could get out of the rain and into a shower, preferably with a certain dragon slayer's company. "This is how it's going to go. You're going to give us the amulet you stole, and then we're going to turn you over to Sevoir. You might as well make it easy on yourself. That one has a temper and itchy fingers," he gestured towards Natsumi behind her.

That didn't stop the girl from struggling against the pink-haired girl's hold, glaring up at the lightning mage with malice. He had to give it her, she had guts. Not many ordinary people had the balls to go toe to toe with him.

"You don't know anything," she hissed. "You're both idiots if you fell for Sevoir's tricks and you're stupid if you think I'm going to give the Amulet Shard to you."

"What do you mean?" Natsumi asked her.

"Be quiet, Nat. She's just running her mouth," he sighed, motioning for them to head back up to the street.

"I'm not! That shard belongs in the Museum of Magic in Crocus! Not sold off to the highest bidder. Sevoir _stole_ it from my grandfather's guild's custody! They were the ones that found it, not Sevoir!" she spat.

"There's not much we can do about that when it was found on his property," Laxus dismissed her, taking Priscilla's hands from Natsumi when he'd climbed back up, pulling the girl up to the street.

"You're so _stupid_! Guild wizards are all the same." Priscilla continued to rant as Natsumi flitted up the edge of the ravine, struggling against their manhandling. "You just took him at his word? Sevoir doesn't own that land! It was a guild expedition that he was a consultant on. When Eagle Eye found it, he said he'd take it for safekeeping until my grandfather could arrange for it to be transported to Crocus. But before he could, Sevoir had started to spread the word of 'his' find, and to keep my grandfather quiet, he bought the land the guild hall was built on from underneath him and threatened to kick everyone out if they said anything."

Natsumi's eyes widened.

But Priscilla wasn't done yet. "And now that you guys showed up, my grandfather is scared stiff that Sevoir is going to take revenge on him for no reason! You're going to ruin _everything_ he's built, and for what? Jewels? Well tough luck, because I'm not telling you where I hid it."

"You don't have to," Laxus said, reaching into her bag, ignoring her belligerent protests. He pulled out the shard, scoffing. "Self-righteous types are never creative, and you're even worse liars. Nat, let her go."

Natsumi instantly released Priscilla, but frowned. It didn't feel right taking the stone from her after what she'd said. Fairy Tail spent so much time fighting against this sort of thing, so why was Laxus not listening to her?

"I'm going to make you a deal, alright?" he said to Priscilla. "But before I keep my end, you have to tell me how you managed to snag this thing from Sevoir."

The thief snarled, "And what if I tell you to go fuck yourself?"

He smiled, "Then I go home 400,000 Jewels richer and your gramps' guild gets pulverized by that bastard."

"Laxus!" Natsumi gasped, horrified.

The blonde ignored her, casually shrugging at Priscilla. "So what's it going to be? Want to start talking?"

Shifting from side to side, the girl wrung her hands, still scowling. "Then what's in it for me?"

"Besides not being singlehandedly responsible for the disbanding of Eagle Eye?" Laxus laughed. "Depending on how funny I find your story, we may decide to help you."

"Stop it!" Natsumi yelled, stepping in front of Priscilla protectively, even if the other girl was several inches taller than her. "What the hell are you doing? This isn't what we do! We're supposed to help people that are in trouble and she was just trying to help her family! I'm not going to let you bully her just because you can!"

"It's alright," Priscilla sighed, the fight leaving her for the first time. "Not like you're giving me much of a choice."

"My older sister works for Sevoir."

"Wait a minute, I knew you looked familiar! That maid Trini is your sister!" Natsumi shouted, remembering another girl that shared Priscilla's dark eyes and curly red hair. Looking at Laxus, "The one that made you show her your guild mark and then got all weird about it!" she laughed. Laxus told her to shut up, gesturing for Priscilla to go on.

"It was a coincidence at first that her boss got attached to one of the guild's digs, especially since she hasn't kept in touch very well since she started working for him. But when he took the shard, I decided to go visit her to see if I could get it back. She gave me a tour, and when she took me to the drawing room, I sensed a magic lock on one of the walls, but Sevoir came in and told us to leave. I told her I had to go to the bathroom, and used my magic to follow him in. It wasn't hard. The door works fine for keeping people out, but not keeping them in. I just pocketed it and walked out. That bastard didn't know what hit him." She smiled, proud of herself. "But I didn't want to get Trini into trouble. We're not exactly close, but she didn't need to be dragged into it any more than necessary," she shrugged.

"That," Laxus pushed his hood back, running his fingers through the hair that had plastered itself against his forehead, "is the shittiest plan I've ever heard."

"Hey!" Priscilla shouted, offended.

"I'm serious. It wasn't planned, it was sloppily executed, and you got lucky. You even put your family in jeopardy. We shouldn't help you on general principle."

"But we're going to anyway," Natsumi glared up at the lightning mage, challenging him to defy her.

He rolled his eyes, "Of course we're fucking going to. God, Nat, have a little faith in me. Jesus."

Her draw dropped. "Then why…?"

"She needed motivation. Plus, I wanted to see if she was actually telling the truth. You can't just go and believe every sob story you hear. Count yourself lucky I'm buying yours, by the way," he added, pointing a finger in Priscilla's face.

"So…you're actually going to help me? You're giving me the amulet back?" Priscilla's face tried to remain disgruntled, but her eyes were hopeful.

Laxus raised an eyebrow, blinking rainwater out of his eyes. "What gave you that idea?" To make his point, his shoved the shard into his bag, out of sight.

"But you just said we were going to help her!" Natsumi waved her arms in frustration, the raindrops sizzling as they fell on her overheated skin. Priscilla took a step back from her, wary of the volatile mage.

"I did, but we came here to claim a reward, and that's what we're going to do. So relax and listen to me. I've got a plan. But we're getting out of the fucking rain first."

When they'd all crowded around into the overhang of the nearby apartment complex, Laxus explained the plan, warning Priscilla that she shouldn't interfere if she knew what was good for her.

He and Natsumi would return the Amulet Shard to Sevoir, claiming that they'd gotten it from a black market smuggler that had been attempting to find a buyer for it. After they'd collected their reward, they'd stay on as a security detail until Sevoir's buyer came to collect it in four days, then turn the tables on him and get his confession recorded on lacrima to use as blackmail. If he threatened revenge against Eagle Eye once the shard was returned to them, they'd turn the recording over to the Archeological Association of Fiore, as well as the Rune Knights.

After Priscilla's insistence that her grandfather would make sure the Amulet Shard was donated to the Museum of Magic, she grudgingly thanked them for their help and bid them goodbye, making her way down the street with a slight limp.

Laxus smiled. Even up against a mage with far inferior abilities, Natsumi didn't pull her punches. He looked down at the girl in question, reaching out to gently grip her arm.

"Come on, let's head back to the hotel. You're filthy."

"Hey! I didn't see you trying to take her down!"

"That's because you had it covered. Didn't think I needed to get disgusting, too." He smirked at her.

"I'll show you disgusting!" She jumped on him, smearing the mud that caked her clothes and hair onto him. He tried to pry her off, but she held firm, rubbing her dirty face into his shirt and the skin of his neck.

"You are so much trouble," he claimed, but he laughed as her hair tickled his throat.

"Yeah, but you love me." She smiled against him, then dropped down to admire her work.

Laxus rolled his eyes, smiling. "It's true."

She beamed at him, then grabbed his hand, taking off in the direction of their hotel.

* * *

When they got back to their room, he scooped her up and tossed her in the shower, turning on the spray as he joined her, both their clothes still on. He ignored her surprised, squawking laughter, choosing to grab a bottle of some sort of soap and squeeze it over her head. Natsumi yelped when giant gobs of blue liquid dripped from her hair into her face.

"Scrub your hair before it gets all caked on," he told her, stripping off his shirt and tossing it over the shower stall.

"I _have_ taken showers before, you know," she grumbled, but did as he said, turning her muddy hair into a dark pink mess of suds, the water dripping down her skin in dark rivulets. He finished undressing himself and moved her out of the way of the spray, hurriedly scrubbing himself down.

"Yeah, but the sooner you stop smelling like a landfill, the sooner we can celebrate the fact that we finished the job."

She pushed him out of the way to rinse off her hair, trying to take off her clothes at the same time.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?! Here, help me!" she gestured to her wrapping when she flung her vest and scarf over the wall.

"I'll do you one better," he smirked, dropping to his knees in front of her. He worked at the knot of her sash, letting it fall to the shower floor. As she unwound the bandages from around her chest, he licked at her stomach, tracing a line from sternum to belly button, feeling the muscles underneath her skin clench at his movements. The lightning mage made his way down to her hips and nipped at the sharp jut of her hipbones, smiling when she gasped.

Not wanting to waste any more time, he folded his fingers in her waistband and gave a sharp tug. The heavy fabric didn't need any more encouragement, pooling at her feet to join the rest of her clothes. He smiled, thankful yet again that she didn't bother with underwear that day.

Laxus leaned in closer, nuzzling against the damp pink curls nestled against her femininity. He placed kisses around to her thighs, nudging her legs further apart. He licked the drops of water dripping down her inner thigh, then seized her by the legs and pushed her back until she was leaning against the wall of the shower. He took her hands in his, then placed them on his head, telling her to hold on. Her question died on her lips as he crouched lower, nudging her legs around his shoulders before straightening back up.

"Perfect," he mumbled as the position brought him eye level to his quarry. He softly shot his tongue out, parting her nether lips, listening for the sharp intake of her breath.

God, he loved going down on her. He'd never been that into it, but something about making her come apart with his mouth appealed to some deep-seeded, instinctual part of him. Laxus licked her again, bringing one hand from its hold on her thigh to trail up her body to grab at her breast, flicking one of her nipples. He smiled against her as she moaned against the sound of the water around them.

"Laxus," she breathed out, tugging on his hair to get his attention.

"Hmm?" he hummed against her, looking up, but not stopping.

"What—what about you?" she gasped out as he gave her another languid lick, flicking her clit.

He pulled away, kissing back up to the small outward curve of her abdomen. "Me? That's unnaturally considerate of you," he said wryly, ignoring her punishing tug on his hair.

"Well, I suppose we could think of something," he thought aloud, idly slipping a finger into her and pumping it slowly. She groaned and sank down on it.

"I could lay you out on the bed," Laxus continued, trying his best to keep his voice unaffected, even though he'd been hard the minute she'd started to peel off her clothes. "But then you'd just drip all over it, wouldn't you?" he asked her as he added another finger, curling them back towards him, loving the sharp yelp she made as he hit a sensitive part within her.

"So that wouldn't work. But we've already fucked in the shower every day we've been here. Won't you be bored?" he asked her casually. "We wouldn't want that after all," he quipped as he licked her belly button.

"No!"

He laughed. Laxus wasn't going to let her off that easily. He bent down again, letting her feet touch the ground before righting himself. "No? Well I guess we could stop then…" he made to slowly withdraw his fingers from her.

"Stop teasing me and get over here!" she yelled at him, pulling him closer by the back of the neck.

"I thought I was over here," he said cheekily, taking one of her nipples into his mouth. He groaned at the contact. She was so responsive under his touch; her nipples were erect despite the heat of the shower, and she was so wet. He slid his fingers home again, just for his own benefit.

"Laxus!" she screamed out, and the smirk on his face was devilish.

He pulled away from her. "Alright, alright. Relax." He stood up, taking his fingers so he could take hold of her waist. "Turn around for me, alright?"

She must have been really far gone, he thought, because she did as he asked without so much as an off-color look. When she let him turn her to face the shower wall, he brushed her hair over one shoulder so he could kiss her neck, biting the skin at the juncture of her shoulder until it turned a dark red. He wasn't sure if she'd skin him for that later, but the way his dick throbbed at the sight of the mark made it worth it, in his opinion.

She whined then, backing up so her lower back brushed against his erection. He hissed, grabbing her hips to stop her.

"God, alright. So impatient," he gasped out.

He tightened his grip on her, lifting her up and pressing her against the shower wall. Natsumi cried out when the cold wall hit her chest, but it gave way to a husky sigh when she felt the warmth of Laxus's body press against her back.

"I've got you," he reassured her, tilting his hips forward to slide his erection against the wetness between her legs. They both moaned, and Laxus decided he was done teasing her.

Reaching around, he lined himself up with her and slowly slid in, groaning as he felt the tightness of her inner muscles envelope him. God, she was wet, he thought finding no resistance as he moved further into her.

"Fuck, Nat, you feel so good," he bit out, pressing his face into her neck. He started a rhythm of shallow thrusts, barely leaving the warm sheath of her. The blonde basked in the feeling of her clenching down on him, drawing him in until he was completely buried.

She struggled to move her hips, to get more friction as her rocked into her.

"Do you need something?" he teased, continuing his ministrations.

" _Move_ ," she commanded through clenched teeth, throwing her head back.

"I thought I was moving."

"Then let me go so _I_ can move," she barked, hips pushing against his hands as he held her immobile against the wall.

"Hmm, I'll think about it," he offered, sliding out of her until only the head of his erection rested inside of her. Then, he surged forward, burying himself again in her, fast and hard. She moaned loudly, the sound echoing around the bathroom, music to his ears. "I thought about it," he slammed into her again, "and I think I like you where you are."

" _Please,_ " she begged, keening as her cheek pressed against the now-warm tile.

And oh, he liked the sound of that. He twitched inside her.

"Please what?" he kissed her shoulder blade, still moving steadily in and out of her.

She didn't answer, only pressed her hands flat against the wall, shivering with need.

He stopped completely. As much as it killed him, he needed to hear that raw, pleading sound again.

"Please what, Natsumi?"

She moaned, slamming one of her hands against the wall.

"Please just _fuck me_ , already!" She yelled at him.

He bit at the hickey on her shoulder, smiling as she cried out and tried once more to shift against him.

"Well why didn't you say so before?" And he leaned back, nearly pulling out of her entirely before slamming into her, beginning the rough, hard pace she'd asked for.

She quivered against the wall, glad that he was holding her so firmly, since she was sure she'd collapse if her feet were on the ground. The thought of him holding her for so long without even a strain sent another jolt of pleasure through her, her moans stringing together as he pumped into her.

Laxus was in heaven. If he could spend the rest of his life in this shower with her, then he'd count himself as one lucky son of a bitch. She was a limp mess against the shower stall as he fucked her, his arms the only thing keeping her from dropping to the floor. The dragon slayer had long since started incoherently babbling into the tile of the bathroom wall, and he knew she was close, judging by the sporadic spasms he could feel.

He slowed his pace, exchanging his rough thrusts into her for deep, rolling motions of his hips. His eyes rolled back in his head at the new angle, sure he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.

Luckily, Natsumi's babbling went up half an octave, and she sobbed, begged him to keep going and to not ever stop as she orgasmed against him, wriggling desperately against him as he pressed against her.

Her wrecked, squealing pleas drove Laxus crazy, and he found himself furiously rutting, emptying himself in her with a loud moan entirely without his permission. Stunned, he took a few seconds to put himself together and sort through the complete mess the small girl had made him into. Taking a deep breath, he reluctantly parted from her, groaning as he slipped out of the warm, wet cavern. He carefully set her down, making sure she could support herself before taking his hands off her. She turned around, smiling wanly with her eyes closed.

He smiled, bending down to press a sweet kiss to her mouth.

"I take it you forgive me?" He laughed softly, stroking her hair back from her face.

"As long as that happens after you tease me," she answered, eyes still closed.

"I'll remember that," Laxus remarked. And he'd be sure to make use of that knowledge at the earliest possible opportunity. He pecked her lips once more. "I'm going to get out so you can clean up."

He picked up her wet clothes off the floor of the shower, taking them with him as he slid the door open to go locate towels.

"Hey, Laxus?" Natsumi called after him. He looked back at her, and saw her smiling softly at him from under the shower, water gathering in her eyelashes and trailing down her body in soft streams.

"Yeah?"

"I love you." She said it so honestly, so sweetly. He'd bet that no one would believe him if he'd told them, not that he ever would. He was far too selfish to share something like that. She was like this just for him, and part of him kicked himself for all the time he wasted punishing himself and pushing her away when he could've had her, loved her, all this time.

He pushed those thoughts away, choosing to return the soft look instead.

"I love you, too," he told her simply. And his heart skipped a beat when her smile turned blinding.

* * *

Laxus was lounging on the bed, wearing a pair of plain cotton pants and staring up at the dull beige ceiling when he realized that Natsumi had been in the bathroom for a really fucking long time.

Getting up, he knocked on the door to the bathroom.

"You okay in there, Nat?" He hoped she hadn't fallen. Maybe he should've checked more thoroughly to see if she could stand properly. She's seemed fine when he'd left, though…

His thoughts were interrupted by the door flying open, revealing a stark naked Natsumi. The sight, while entirely distracting, was eclipsed by her forlorn expression.

He exploded in laughter when he saw that she'd managed to get a hairbrush stuck in her hair.

"Stop laughing, idiot!" she scolded, her hands on her hips. Laxus reigned it in, but was distracted once more by the way her breasts jiggled at the motion.

"I'm serious! Stop being a perv and help me!" she gestured to the tangled mess that was her hair, and he sighed, leading her over to sit on the bed. He slid in behind her, trying to ignore how she was still naked in favor of the snarl of bubblegum colored hair in front of him.

"Do you want to tell me how you managed to do this to yourself?" he asked as his hands set to work on freeing the brush.

"I told Lucy that this was a bad idea! But no! She made me take two of the stupid things along. Two! Who needs two hairbrushes?!" she ranted, seeming completely oblivious to him tugging on her hair. He guessed it was a good thing she had such a thick skull, because he certainly wasn't being gentle as he struggled against the pink mass.

"Anyway, she made it look so easy the other day, you know? And I kind of liked how it looked, and I saw how much you liked it, too, so I decided to give it another shot… and the damn thing got stuck!" She flailed her hands, but managed to keep still enough to let him keep working.

After working loose several more massive knots, the brush finally came free, and instead of handing it to her, he shrugged and went to brushing her hair. She'd tried to do it for him, after all, so he figured he could give her a hand.

She looked slyly over her shoulder as he worked the ends of the pink strands.

"I thought you were too manly to brush my hair?" she teased.

"Shut up," he grunted, "I would have done it the other day if you hadn't jumped me," he looked up from his brushing, remembering. "Speaking of, did you take your pill?"

She nodded, and he went back to work.

"Also, I didn't 'jump you,'" she denied, making finger quotes. "You were the one that freaked out over everything and asked me if I even knew what sex was," she laughed, jostling the bed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said innocently as he brushed through her hair, watching as the knots worked themselves out, giving way to the wavy, cotton candy waves he'd come to love just as much as the rest of her.

He finished, admiring how shiny her drying hair was as it spilled across her shoulders and down her back. She turned to him as he set the brush down.

"Thanks," she smiled at him, the same quiet, sweet smile she'd given him on his way out of the shower.

"No problem," he said, shrugging. He stood up and walked over to the light switch, plunging the room into darkness.

"It's bedtime already?" he heard her groan, the sheets rustling as she flopped onto them.

"We've got a busy day tomorrow," he explained, walking back over to the bed. "Rewards to collect and bastards to hustle. The usual."

She laughed. "You just don't want to admit you're tired. It's okay. It happens when you get old."

"I'm 23, not 60!" He snapped at her. "That's it, come here!" he tackled her on the bed, tickling her bare skin as she howled with laughter.

"Okay, okay, stop, I'm sorry!" she gasped, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes from his unrelenting fingers.

"You better be," he grumbled, but brought her close anyway, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into her fragrant hair. She responded in kind, pressing a kiss to his chest before snuggling into him further.

"Night, Laxus," she breathed out, warm against his skin.

Despite her cracks about him being exhausted, it only took a few minutes for her breathing to even out. He rolled his eyes, but only held her tighter against him, letting himself drift off beside her. In the haze of impending sleep, he wished that all nights could have an ending like this one.

* * *

 **Note:** Can you tell that I really like writing domestic scenes? I just love writing their bickering, because I think we all know that would never stop, no matter how much they cared about one another. And the story is picking up again! But as much as I'd love to post chapters until kingdom come, we're nearing the end. After this one, there's probably three more chapters and an epilogue, so prepare yourself! As usual, I'd absolutely love to read your thoughts, so feel free to drop a review.

 **Next Chapter Preview:** The Idiots You Chose to Get Stuck With

 _"You don't understand, Freed. I **need** to know."_

 _"Even if it's clearly none of your business?"_

 _" **Especially** because it's none of my business!" _


	18. The Idiots You Chose to Get Stuck With

**AN:** So I hope no one gets angry at me for this, but as I was writing this story, I couldn't help but feel like the focus on Laxus and Nat in the recent chapters left out the rest of their friends in the meantime. Since their respective crews were basically responsible for them even getting together, I figured they'd be deeply speculative about what they'd get up to while out on the job. This sprung from that wondering. It's relatively short, and next week we'll get back to Laxus and Nat, but I felt this was important.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **The Idiots You Chose to Get Stuck With**

"I'm telling you, I'd bet anyone here my entire cut of our next job that they're lollygagging just so they can fool around," Bickslow said, leaning back in his chair. He and the rest of the Thunder Legion had been sitting around the guild for the past week, growing increasingly bored without the guidance of their fearless leader. They'd explained to everyone that it wasn't like when Laxus had been in exile. They knew he'd be coming back this time, so their motivation to go out and do a job on their own had plummeted.

"No one's going to take you up on that bet, Bickslow," Freed said as he watched his teammate flip his visor up and down for the seventeenth time in ten minutes.

"'Course not," the seith mage said, "'cause they'd lose."

"No, because it isn't polite to bet on the…intimate details of others' lives," Freed defended, inspecting the ends of his long green hair from his seat.

Ever scoffed. "Please, you know you're just as curious as the rest of us to know what they're up to."

"Even if I am, I'm not rude enough to actually go prying," the rune wizard sniffed, pointedly avoiding Evergreen's scowl.

"Well I am! He owes us big for sticking our necks out for him again. It's the least he could do," Bickslow was dying to know. It wasn't every day that he saw Laxus get so worked up about a girl. It wasn't every _ever_. Sure, he'd had his suspicions, just like the rest of the Thunder Legion, but it wasn't until a month or so ago when they'd heard Laxus yell at Natsumi from the infirmary that he loved her were they ever sure.

"If you want to go bothering Laxus about his private life, be my guest, but don't blame me for the thrashing he'll give you." Freed wanted to know just as badly as Bickslow, it was true, but he knew more than the average person that although Laxus was a fierce and loyal friend, you most certainly did not make him angry if you didn't have to. And it seemed to him that questioning him about how he spent his time while out with the dragon slayer girl would be one of the quickest ways to piss off the lightning mage.

"I'm sick of waiting, though! All we've done since he left is sit here and drink, and I'm sick of it." The knight flipped his visor again. Freed twitched at the movement, wanting to kick the knight for being so deliberately obnoxious.

"There are sources of entertainment that don't involve antagonizing Laxus." And not involving either himself or Evergreen in the resulting fallout.

"Can you two just shut up for a second? I can't think over the sound of all the stupid." Evergreen hissed at them. "Freed's right, though. If you jump down Laxus's throat the second he gets back, he's going to rip you a new one. You saw firsthand how cagey he was when you asked him about Natsumi, and he'll be even worse this time."

"What are we supposed to do then? Just pretend that he didn't go off on an extended job with a girl so he could fuck her—ow!" Bickslow yelled as Ever hit him with her fan.

"Don't use language like that in front of me," she scolded. "And I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that, since I'm sure Laxus wouldn't be happy to know that you think that of him. Do yourself a favor and get over your abandonment issues so you can have grown up time with the rest us."

Freed stifled laughter. Watching Bickslow get his just desserts from Evergreen was one of his very favorite things. It was almost as good as when Laxus did it.

The knight in question rubbed his face where Evergreen swatted him, glaring at her through his visor.

"That's rich coming from you. A few days ago you were singing a different tune. 'Why did Laxus leave us? What's so good about _Natsumi_? She's so crude and unkempt and unladylike.'" He repeated in a high-pitched voice, fanning himself with one hand.

"I was upset and said things I didn't mean!"

"Sounded pretty serious to me. You just don't want to get in trouble when Dad gets home," he joked, laughing at how red Ever was turning. "What? Did I make you angry? I thought you were supposed to be so _mature_ ," he taunted.

"I'm _mature_ enough to put you in your place!" she went to hit him again, but Freed reached across the table to grab her wrist before she connected.

"I understand we're all feeling a little high-strung right now," the green-haired wizard began, "but let's try to get along. Laxus won't like it if he comes back to find the team at each other's throats." He ignored Bickslow's muttered remark about being teacher's pet as he went on. "The point is that he won't be gone much longer. A mission of that difficulty level never keeps Laxus for long, even if one accounts for how he might be preoccupied with other…activities," he finished, looking away to cover his blush.

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm fu—freakin' going out of my mind over here," Bickslow amended when he got sight of Ever's glare. "You don't understand, Freed. I _need_ to know."

"Even if it's clearly none of your business?"

" _Especially_ because it's none of my business!" he yelled, attracting the attention of nearby guild mates, who quickly lost interest when they realized it was only Bickslow making a scene.

Freed sighed, not sure how he was going to reign him in this time. He'd never had to deal with his team members in this sort of situation. For one, Laxus had never willingly been gone on a job without them for this long, and two, Laxus had never been away with a girl ever, much less one like Natsumi. They were all missing their leader, but they were curious as well. Was it going well? Were they getting along? Were they…enjoying each other's company?

Shaking his head slightly, unwilling to allow his borderline disrespectful thoughts to venture any farther, and looked at his teammates. "I'm not sure what to tell you, then. Laxus isn't going to tell you anything, and I highly doubt he'd let you close enough to ask Natsumi, assuming she wouldn't be immediately inclined to set you on fire in the first place. There aren't really any avenues of information to be had."

And that was that, he thought. They'd all have to accept this new development in their lives, since Laxus's behavior was indicative of a rather permanent change. He just wished the other two were better at dealing with it, although at least Evergreen had recovered from her own issues regarding Laxus's temporary departure.

Both Bickslow and Evergreen looked downcast, having mutually latched onto their curiosity about Laxus and Natsumi as a way to alleviate their boredom and their disappointment from being left behind. Then, Ever's glasses glinted evilly as she smiled, an idea striking her.

"Laxus and Natsumi might be a dead end, but there are other means," she said, pointing over to the other end of the guild, where Lucy sat talking with Erza and Gray, her hand scratching Happy behind the ears as he nibbled at a fish.

Exchanging a look, all three Thunder Legion members stood in unison, stalking over to the Heartfilia girl's table. They'd get her to talk, alright.

* * *

Erza and Gray looked up at them as they approached, but Lucy and Happy, whose backs were to the invaders, continued happily discussing future job ideas.

"I thought that I could take Wendy with me to a trip to Hargeon soon, but it might not be worth it since it's just to look after some rich guy's shape-shifting dog. But I wanted to take advantage of an easy job now since you guys always make me risk my life any time the whole team's together." Lucy went on, only stopping when she realized neither of her conversation partners were paying any attention to her. She turned around to follow their gaze, only to lock eyes with a smirking Evergreen.

"Oh, hey Evergreen. Bickslow. Freed," she greeted awkwardly, not used to being approached by the three. She had a sinking feeling she knew the gist of what they wanted to talk to her about, though.

"Hello, Lucy. How are you?" Ever smiled, the action sending chills down Lucy's spine.

"Uh…fine. Thanks," she swallowed. It was probably best to just bite the bullet and get it over with. "Was there something you needed?"

"Actually yes," Ever answered, pulling out a chair beside Lucy and sitting down. Freed and Bickslow followed her, pulling up chairs from a nearby table. "You don't mind, do you?" the fairy mage asked, gesturing to the chairs.

Lucy shook her head. Not that it would matter if she did, she thought sullenly.

"You see, Lucy," Ever began, tossing her hair over her shoulder, "we've been very confused lately, and we thought you were just the girl to enlighten us. Right boys?" They nodded obediently, and Lucy shuddered at the enthusiastic way Bickslow's tongue lolled out of his mouth.

"…Oh?" she asked nervously.

The older girl nodded, still smiling that eerie smile.

"As you know, Natsumi and Laxus have been gone for days, and we've been wondering about what could possibly be keeping them. As her best friend, we thought you might have some ideas."

Lucy shifted in her seat, trying to avoid looking at Evergreen's face. Logically she knew she wouldn't turn to stone since the other girl was still wearing her glasses, but it still freaked her out. "I'm sure they're okay. I doubt anything bad would have happened to them."

"Of course not," Erza interjected, startling Lucy, who'd forgotten she'd had company before the Thunder Legion's arrival. "Laxus is objectively the strongest mage in Fairy Tail after Gildarts. There's no way a non-S-Class mission would cause him any difficulties. I am confident in Natsumi's abilities as well, though she is reckless. If they aren't back by now, it is because they do not wish to be," she concluded, not understanding why Laxus's teammates would have so little faith in their leader after spending so much time with him.

"That's exactly why we're askin'," Bickslow said, speaking for the first time. "The 'don't wish to be,' part I mean." Even though she couldn't see his eyes, Lucy got the vague sense that he was winking at them. But then again, maybe it was just the effect of the tongue.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked him. Bickslow smiled like a predator about to go in for the kill. Lucy braced herself.

"We mean that if they still aren't back yet, what could they be doin' that's holding 'em up so much, huh?"

Erza blushed as scarlet as her hair. "I don't think that…do you mean…no!"

Gray started laughing, slapping a hand down on one recently-bared knee.

When no one else said anything, Erza's face darkened. She stood up, brandishing her sword at Bickslow. "Do you think he has deflowered our team member?!" she yelled.

The smile melted off the knight's face, but Gray didn't stop laughing. Lucy tried to seize the opportunity to leave, but Evergreen grabbed a handful of her skirt, keeping her seated.

Erza took the continued silence as confirmation. "How dare he! Taking advantage of a young girl's innocence! I will punish him!" she yelled, stabbing the nose of her sword into the table.

"Erza, I think you might be overreacting…" Lucy tried to comfort the redhead, to no avail.

Gray chose that moment to chime in, still laughing. "Please, there's no 'deflowering' going on over there, no matter how much Laxus might want there to be," he ignored how Erza's grip tightened on her sword pommel at the mention of 'deflowering.' "Laxus, I could totally see, but Natsumi? She'd castrate him if he tried. Plus, she wouldn't know a dick from a donkey if it bit her on the ass," he cackled at the thought, reaching up to wipe tears out of his eyes.

"But seriously, the little pyro's as naïve as they come, and I doubt even Laxus could talk her through something like that. God, I'd almost pay to see him have the talk with her," he could barely finish his sentence before breaking into another round of laughter, baffled at how no one else found the idea of Natsumi and sex so hilariously contradictory.

"Lucy, tell them," he laughed, motioning for Lucy to back him up. When she didn't say anything, he looked at her, noticing how she wouldn't meet his gaze and looking like she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

"Wait a minute," he sobered, "there's nothing going on…unless there is?" Gray's eyes widened as he took in the subtle pink flush that the blonde's cheeks took on.

"Holy shit, there is!" he yelled, shooting out of his seat to join Erza, which caused everyone else to whip into an uproar.

"You will tell us what horrors Laxus has inflicted upon Natsumi!" Erza commanded.

Evergreen had her hands on Lucy's shoulders, shaking her. "What do you know?!"

Bickslow was yelling at her to divulge all the raunchy details, and her head spun. Only Freed and Gray were silent, though the latter seemed busy processing his most recent knowledge with a look of abject disgust and terror on his face.

"I don't know anything! Let go of me!" she jerked out of Evergreen's hold, nearly tripping over the back of her chair. Her face burned as she threw her hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"How am I supposed to know?! You know Natsumi. Unless it involves eating or sleeping, she's pretty uninterested," she finished, laughing nervously.

No one looked convinced, even Gray, who looked more nauseous than anything at the moment. "Look, I'm serious! I don't know anything. Laxus and Nat could be taking knitting lessons for all I know!"

"If they were taking knitting lessons, why did you put little pill things in that box you gave Natsumi instead of yarn? You're not very smart, Lucy."

Damn that stupid, useless, piece of garbage feline. She'd completely forgotten he was there! And now she had least five powerful mages breathing down her neck because he couldn't keep his big mouth shut!

"I checked after you and Natsumi went to sleep. That box wasn't even big enough to fit any yarn, even if you took all those little pills out," Happy continued on, completely unaware of Lucy shrinking under the gaze of her interrogators.

"Sit. Now." Erza commanded, cutting the rambling cat off. Lucy obeyed, robotically sinking back down to her chair, feeling like she now knew what it felt to feel her life flash before her eyes. Why did everything bad that happened to her trace back to Natsumi?

"Now you will explain to us all why you decided to become an accomplice to illicit behavior."

"I wasn't an accomplice to anything!" Lucy squeaked, paling under Titania's glare.

"Then why did you give Natsumi birth control magic?" Evergreen asked with a raised eyebrow. Gray gagged behind her, and Lucy sympathized, though she felt like throwing up for a different reason.

She wasn't worried about Natsumi being angry, already knowing her friend wouldn't care. She just hoped that Laxus would decide to spare her when he learned that Lucy spilled the beans.

"Well? Did you or did you not aid in the corruption of our dear team member?!" Erza bit out, and Lucy broke.

"I didn't corrupt anyone! I made sure she was going to be safe! I didn't put her up to do anything she wasn't already planning, I promise," she babbled, closing her eyes. "I was shocked, too. I didn't know Nat knew about any of that stuff, either, but trust me, she did. And when she told me about how she and Laxus made out in the basement the afternoon before they left I had to do something!"

"She and Laxus made out _in the basement_? With us all here?!" Evergreen shrieked.

"I knew they was a good chance of it happening, and I didn't know if Laxus would come prepared, so I gave Natsumi a way to keep herself safe. If looking out for a friend makes me a bad person," she opened her eyes to look at Erza, who at least had the decency to look ashamed, "then so be it."

"I apologize, Lucy," Erza said, contrite, "I jumped to conclusions. Thank you for being a good friend to Natsumi."

Lucy sighed in relief, happy she'd get to keep her head attached to her shoulders…at least until Laxus came back.

"I, for one, can't believe that the little maniac had it in her!" Bickslow laughed. "Who would've guessed?"

Sighing, Lucy deflated into her chair. "Are you happy now? Laxus is going to kill me."

"Nah, you'll be fine," the knight insisted. "Natsumi likes you, so he'll leave you alone. Probably. Plus he'll be coming off a sex bender, so…"

"Cut it out!" Evergreen told him, waving her fan threateningly.

"God, it's like a giant family reunion where everyone's an in-law," Lucy groaned, throwing her head back over her chair.

Happy crawled into her lap. "Are Laxus and Natsumi getting married then? If everyone's related, you should be Natsumi's sister!"

"I always pictured Nat as sort of a little sister. She's obnoxious enough," Bickslow said, nodding.

"She's more like a child, honestly," Evergreen sniffed.

"Though I doubt anyone here still thinks of Laxus as a brotherly figure aside from us," Freed chimed in, rubbing at his chin as he looked at his teammates.

"Please," Erza rolled her eyes. "He might as well be your father for all the attention you three want from him."

"That comparison isn't unfounded, but wouldn't the relationship become rather taboo if Laxus was a father figure and Natsumi a sisterly one?" the rune mage asked.

"But Natsumi's kind of like my mom!" Happy cried.

"That's it. I'm out of here. This is way too fucking weird for me to deal with right now." Gray pulled himself out of his chair and gathered his clothes, not bothering to put them on.

"Wait! Take me with you!" Lucy pleaded with him as she escaped the throng of mages now arguing about what role they would all play in the delusional family dynamic they'd all suddenly become fixated on.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that. You dropped a bomb on us all there," he said, still looking like he'd been punched in the gut.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you'll get over it. It's your own fault for not treating Nat like an actual human who'd eventually find someone she'd want all that stuff with."

"Well, yeah, I guess, but that's not really the problem."

"Then why are you freaking out?!"

He stopped to look at her, then turned away, glaring at the guild doors. "I can't believe Natsumi got laid before me. Of all people."

"Oh my God!" Lucy screamed, leaving a shocked Gray behind as she threw open the doors. "You're all insane!" She didn't look back as she stalked down the street, intending to go soak the day's craziness away in the tub.

Back at the guild, Mirajane watched the chaos unfold from behind the bar with a warm smile on her face.

"I worry about them all," the Master quipped as he sat on the bar, nursing a drink and trying to erase the last half an hour from his mind.

Mira only giggled. "I think it's cute. They all care about Laxus and Natsumi so much, they just can't help but want to know what's going on in their lives."

Makarov grunted, taking another sip. "The fact that you think any of this is adorable makes you the scariest of them all."

"I don't know what you mean by that, Master, but I'll take it as a compliment."

And as she presided over the spectacle that was two of Fairy Tail's strongest teams squabbling like best friends, she decided that she really did owe Laxus an 'I told you so.'

* * *

 **Note:** Gray is probably my favorite supporting character in this story to write, I swear. I was cackling the whole time. Bickslow is a very close second, however. And I'm always so there for Lucy being the ultimate friend. While I was writing her defending herself against Erza, I was essentially doing the emoji praise hands the entire time.

Anyway, expect the next chapter next week, where the ongoing story of Nat and Laxus will pick back up and we'll get to see Laxus's plan play out in its entirety. I hope you enjoyed the 'while they were busy' aspect of the chapter. I know I certainly did. As usual, leave a review if you feel like it and tell me what you thought!

 **Next Chapter Preview:** A Plan, A Promise, and a Healthy Dose of What the Hell just Happened

 _"Where's your little friend?"_

 _"She's busy losing."_

 _"It doesn't count if you cheated!"_


	19. A Plan, a Promise

**AN:** Hey guys! Thank you so much for the responses to the last chapter! Part of me was afraid that it'd be too abrupt of a departure from the ongoing plot, but in hindsight, I'm glad I included it. My only regret is making you wait an additional week for the next real installment. But I've made up for it with another long chapter. It's not just long, though. It's packed full of content, so hold on to your seat! I really, really hope you like it!

* * *

 **A Plan, a Promise, and a Healthy Serving of What the Hell Just Happened**

It'd been ridiculously easy to get Sevoir to accept their half-assed explanation for how they'd come by the amulet. When Laxus had handed over the stone, the older man had been too overjoyed to ask questions, praising their talents and thanking them for returning his prized possession in time to make the transport for his buyer. His compliments made Natsumi's skin crawl. All the casual things that she'd never noticed before, or hadn't minded, now grated on her nerves, and she had to clench her fists more than once to stop herself from singeing off all his facial hair.

After coughing up the cash he owed them, he'd readily agreed to take them on as a security detail during the days leading up to the exchange, chattering on about how lucky he was to have two of them helping him out of the goodness of their hearts. To her surprise, Laxus took it all well, full of charming smiles and professionalism. Natsumi envied him, having to keep herself from gagging every time Sevoir looked at her. She'd make him pay for trying to trick them.

Despite their efforts to get Sevoir to slip up and say something incriminating, he remained charming and amicable every morning, spending the next three days chatting with them about their various adventures and pumping them with a nearly endless supply of snacks. Natsumi figured that was the one bearable thing about all this waiting and sitting around. If she was stuck here for one more afternoon, she'd spend it trying to eat Sevoir out of house and home. It was the least she could do besides take the cheating bastard's money.

At least Laxus compensated for the boredom of their days by spending every night making it up to her. She'd been sore every morning since they'd returned the amulet, and she loved it more each time.

Looking beside her at the man in question, she found him looking as bored as she felt, though his face hid it well. She stifled a giggle. It wasn't like Laxus to fake being nice to someone he hated, and judging by the way his eyes tightened every time he fielded another one of Sevoir's questions, he couldn't stand the old guy after what Priscilla had told them. She watched as one of his hands moved in the pocket of his pants, knowing he was toying with the recording lacrima he'd had there since they'd agreed on the plan. As time went on, however, it was clear that they'd have to strike once the buyer came to pay for the Amulet Shard.

Natsumi watched with eagerness as the sky outside grew orange and yellow with the impending sunset, knowing she and Laxus would soon be free.

"What time should we be here tomorrow to supervise the exchange?" Laxus interrupted her thoughts with his question.

Sevoir looked up from where he'd been sketching on the fainting couch opposite them. He adjusted the collar of his immaculately tailored coat, a smile on his face.

"Judging from her letters, no later than noon. My associate's reputation rather precedes her. She's been said to be very punctual as well as…discrete. It can be risky business when transporting such valuable objects. I'm sure you understand."

Laxus nodded. "I take it she will have her own security to ensure its safety?"

Sevior laughed, though his smile lacked the warmth they'd grown accustomed to. "Of course! Baroness Jia has always been a stickler for safety. She'll no doubt have top of the line security, so there's no need to be concerned. I'm actually hoping you'll be kind enough to not mention this whole business to her, as she would be extremely…upset to hear that I'd managed to muck up," he said bashfully, all high-class grace, but Natsumi could see the sheen of sweat that beaded on his neck.

He was scared, she realized with a jolt. She wondered what kind of person this Baroness was to make someone as unruffled as Sevoir nervous. Probably no one good.

"Don't worry," she smiled at the man, ignoring how her gut twisted, "We've got your back."

The tightness around the older man's eyes relaxed, but she noticed how they seemed dim. "I thank you for that, Natsumi. And you as well, Laxus."

They departed soon after that, Laxus throwing an arm over her shoulders as they walked through the gates of the Sevoir estate.

"That jerk better not be feeling guilty now, of all times," she grumbled. "I wanted to personally teach him a lesson." She hit a fist into an open palm for good measure.

"It doesn't matter how he feels," Laxus said, leading them down the road towards their hotel. "This time tomorrow, it'll be over regardless."

"But still. He was acting weird. Even weirder than he already was," she said, remembering how the aging man had looked.

Laxus shrugged. He had more important things to worry about at the moment than work, like how short he could make the time between now and when Natsumi was squealing underneath him.

* * *

After an evening filled with more orgasms than sleep, the two woke early the next morning, wasting no extra time getting ready and heading back over to the Sevoir estate.

Natsumi was confused when they walked up to the gate. Every day they'd come to see the head of the house except for the first one, the gates had been open and they'd gone straight to the door to be let in the house. Today, the large, wrought iron gates remained firmly shut, even when Natsumi called out a loud "Hey! It's us!"

Both mages were shocked when Sevoir himself emerged from the doors of his mansion, crossing the expansive courtyard while carrying an intricately carved box that undoubtedly contained the Amulet Shard. When he reached them, he waved a hand in front of the stone pillar attached to one of the gates. At his gesture, they opened lazily, and he joined them out on the grounds before they slid shut, closing with a solid clank of metal.

"Good morning, you two. Lovely day, isn't it?" he asked, as if it was completely normal for him to meet them this way.

"Is there any reason why we're out here instead of inside?" Laxus asked, quirking a golden eyebrow at the aristocrat.

Sevoir laughed, but there was an edge to it. "Well, the Baroness is a very busy woman. I didn't want to waste her time with unnecessary dalliances. Also, my wife has actually been paying her a social visit these past days, and I'm excited to see her again. I simply couldn't wait," he smiled, tugging on the lapel of yet another expensive duster.

Natsumi stared at him. As usual, he didn't have a hair out of place. His facial hair was neatly trimmed, his dark hair combed elegantly to one side. But the way he kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other definitely didn't match the ease with which he'd moved before. Both mages also didn't miss how he clutched the box he held tightly, his knuckles white.

"Your wife is friends with the collector you're selling the rock to?" Natsumi asked him, cocking her head to one side.

"It's common that those running in the same social circles would share common interests. The Baroness was very excited to have Celeste's company," he coughed, crow's feet growing more prominent at the corners of his eyes.

Natsumi didn't have time to question him further when the sound of neighing horses in the distance alerted her to the presence of an approaching carriage. Sure enough, an elaborate carriage pulled by two black stallions appeared at the foot of the private drive. From this distance, Natsumi could see two men sitting on the outside bench. The one directing the horses was a big and bulky, with long black hair pulled back severely. Beside him sat a smaller man with a head full of red curls.

She saw Sevoir stiffen out of the corner of her eye. Looking up at Laxus on her other side, they exchanged looks. He hadn't missed their employer's strange behavior, either.

To their surprise, the carriage didn't meet them at the gates to the mansion, but stopped about fifty feet short. The two men hopped off, the taller one moving to stand in front of the horses while the shorter of the two went around to the door of the carriage, helping out two women.

The first was obviously the Baroness Jia, Natsumi thought. The woman was very old, but solidly built, her gray hair piled on top of her head in an elaborate knot. Her black dress looked fancy, all lace and silk as it draped from the woman's neck to her ankles.

The second must have been Celeste Sevoir. She was younger than the Baroness, though still middle aged. Celeste was very pretty, with a large, decorative hat covering the brunette hair that was styled in a bun at the nape of her neck. If her similar age to Sevoir hadn't given away her identity, the excessively embroidered fabric of her gown definitely did. What stuck out the most to the small dragon slayer, however, wasn't how the aristocrat's wife was dressed, but the look of fear on her face as the redheaded man didn't let go of her elbow when he helped her from the carriage.

Sevoir inhaled a large, shaky breath as he saw his wife, clutching the box closer to his chest.

"I thought we agreed that discretion was of the utmost importance, Mr. Sevoir," the Baroness called, her voice surprisingly strong as it carried over the distance. "It wouldn't do for more people than necessary to know the whereabouts of such a valuable artifact."

"These people are merely here to ensure that the Amulet Shard is delivered safely into your hands, Baroness," Sevoir called back. "How are you, darling? I trust the Baroness catered to your every comfort during your visit," he smiled at his wife from across the way.

"You can speak with her after our business is concluded. Bring me the box, please," the Baroness commanded, and Laxus and Natsumi exchanged another look. This didn't feel right.

Sevoir stepped forward, crossing the distance between the two groups. The wizards went to follow him, but the Baroness held up a hand. "Only Mr. Sevoir's presence is required. I would appreciate it if you remained where you are."

Natsumi glared at her. "What's the big idea, lady? You got a problem?"

Sevoir turned to her, smiling. "No need to worry, my dear. I've got it quite in hand," he reassured, smiling. His hands shook from the force of his grip on the box.

"Listen to your master, little girl," the old woman smirked, looking down her nose at the dragon slayer. Natsumi started forward, but Laxus put a hand on her shoulder.

"Leave it," he whispered. "Just watch."

She turned back to the scene in front of him. Sevoir approached the Baroness's party. The black-haired man stepped forward, taking the box from the aristocrat before handing it to the old woman, who opened it up with a smile.

"Very well," she said. "You've done your part. You'll receive your payment in full." Closing the lid, she nodded at the smaller man, who released his hold on Celeste and pushed her forward, into Sevoir's arms. The man didn't waste any time. He took his wife by the wrist and hurriedly pulled her back to the gates. Only once they were behind the dragon slayers did he embrace her, not caring how her large hat bent with the action.

The Baroness also moved quickly. She folded herself back into the carriage, not waiting for help from either of her companions. The two men resumed their post at the front, and with a sharp crack of the reigns, the large raven-haired man turned the carriage around, sending the Baroness back down the road.

"I'm so sorry, Celeste. Will you ever forgive me? Did they hurt you?" Sevoir cried as the carriage disappeared down the hill, holding his wife close.

"I'm alright. They left me alone…for the most part. The redheaded one enjoyed letting me know exactly what was in store for me if you didn't comply, but now I'm home. Thank you," she said in a soft, wavering voice. Natsumi knew she was about to cry.

"Wait a minute," the pink haired girl interjected, interrupting the reunited couple. "Wasn't that old hag supposed to pay you for that stupid thing? What happened to that?"

Sevoir wiped at his eyes, laughing. "She did pay me. She gave me my wife back. I wasn't sure that I'd ever see her again,"

"What?!" Natsumi yelled, throwing her arms up. "Then what was the point of all of that?!"

"They kidnapped her." Laxus interrupted the beginning of her tirade. "They threatened to hurt her if you didn't give them what they wanted, right?"

"They said they'd kill her," the aristocrat hung his head, but kept a solid grip on his wife, as if to reassure himself that she was still there. "Baroness Jia is an elite member of the dark guild Crimson Arrow. She caught wind of the expedition I'd been planning with the local archeology guild in search of a valuable magical artifact rumored to have been lost in the mountains thousands of years ago. A few nights before I was scheduled to leave on the dig, the two men you saw there broke into our home and kidnapped Celeste. They told me if I didn't bring them back the object or if I alerted the authorities, they'd kill her. I had no choice. I'm not proud of myself for what I did. I was too afraid to tell anyone, so I schemed to make sure I could take possession of the Amulet Shard. I lost a dear friend in the guild master of Eagle Eye, but I really thought I was going to lose Celeste when it was stolen, so I took a risk and sent out a request to Fairy Tail, hoping you could help me without arousing undue suspicion."

"So, you didn't want to steal the rock from Eagle Eye?" Natsumi asked slowly, blinking.

"No, of course not. I'm a collector, yes, but something that rare belongs in a museum where someone much more qualified than myself can care for it. It's too precious to not share with the world. But when it comes to my wife, I would have done anything, even betray my colleagues." He smiled at his wife then.

"Then we went through all that trouble of planning to steal that stupid rock back from you for nothing?!" she yelled, tugging on her hair.

"Excuse me?" Sevoir asked, eyes widening.

"When the granddaughter of Eagle Eye's master took it from you, she thought you were just going to pawn it off to the highest bidder, so we told her we'd get the damn thing back so it could go in a museum and you'd stop holding it over her old man's head! _You_ were supposed to be the bad guy!" she waved a finger at him, scowling.

"And now we just gave it to the _real_ bad guy!" she covered her eyes.

"Relax, Nat," Laxus told her, "it's under control."

"What?" she wheeled on him, glaring.

The blonde mage rolled his eyes. "I told you to stop taking everything people say at face value. That girl was telling the truth, yeah, but she didn't know the whole story. I figured there was more to it, since it was fucking weird that Sevoir never asked us any questions about how we found it," he glared at the couple, seemingly over his polite affectation. "So I wanted to wait until the exchange to make sure nothing was up before we got the hell out of dodge, and it was a good thing we did."

"You could have just told me the truth!" Natsumi yelled at him, fire in her eyes.

"If I'd have told you, you'd have blown our cover. You're even worse an actor than this guy," he gestured to Sevoir, who looked affronted. "It's not like I told anyone else. It could've just as easily been like that girl said and we would've just done the first plan. But if it makes you feel better, I'll clue you in next time," he grumbled, scratching the back of his head.

She huffed, but nodded.

Sevoir, however, was as confused as he was relieved. "So you're saying you knew of my involvement with Eagle Eye? And that the guild master's granddaughter was responsible for the theft of the shard? But why didn't you-?"

"Yes and yes. I didn't trust you enough to tell you and you aren't a good enough liar to pull it off if I did. Happy?" The aristocrat only blinked at the lightning mage, still processing.

"We don't have any more time for this. We've already given them plenty of a head start." Laxus turned to look at the dragon slayer. "Feeling fired up enough for some action?"

She cracked her neck, bearing her teeth at the tall man. "Oh, yeah. These guys better be worth it."

"Get going, I'll catch up with you." He gestured down the hill with a nod of his head. He silenced her protest with a scoff. "You know I'll beat you there anyway. Go."

With a last glare, she took off like a shot, running full tilt down the hill in a blaze of fire, eating up the distance between her and their quarry with a speed that should be impossible for someone of her stature.

With a smile at her retreating figure, he turned to the shell-shocked couple, face going serious once again. "I'd contact the Magic Council if I were you. Tell them everything, give them this," he took out the recording lacrima that he'd used to record everything that had happened, "and we'll do the rest. Understand?" At their nods, he smirked at them, stepped back, and activated his magic, his body disappearing in a shower of sparks.

The reunited couple stared at each other for several seconds, processing the sudden departure of the two mages.

"We should go inside and do what he says," Sevoir told his wife, moving to open the gates once more.

"Have they been like that all this time? I knew Fairy Tail used to have a reputation for theatrics, but that seemed a little excessive, don't you think?" Celeste asked as they hurried inside to the communication lacrima.

"If you think that's dramatic, darling, you should've watched the Magic Games with me this year. Compared to what those two can do, that didn't even qualify as a parlor trick. Now," he said, pecking her on the nose, "let's go make that call."

* * *

Baroness Jia sat peacefully in the belly of her carriage as it departed from Shirotsume, inspecting the Amulet Shard. The stone was beautiful: a deep, clear blue that reflected the afternoon light that came in through the carriage window. It may not have any remaining capabilities in its fractured state, but it would fetch an unimaginably large price. She was lucky that spineless excuse for a man had come through, despite being such a waste of space with too much money on his hands. She had been in favor of taking the shard and killing his simpering wife, anyway, but the presence of additional witnesses had complicated matters.

She was confident she and her men could have handled what looked to be the lumbering blonde and his waif of a companion, but the Baroness disliked dirtying her hands when she didn't have to. Precision and adaptability was what had gotten her this far in life, and she wasn't about to compromise herself now.

As she continued her musing, the carriage came to an abrupt halt. The old woman cursed softly, sticking her head out of the window.

"What's going on, Holger? Why did we stop?" she snapped at the black-haired man driving the carriage.

"I don't know, ma'am," he rumbled, snapping the reigns, but receiving no response. "The horses are spooked, but Christoph says the weather's supposed to be clear all day."

The man beside him nodded. "I'm not sensing any storm systems. There's no reason for them to be acting up."

"Well un-spook them! We don't have time to waste," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am, but—look out!" Christoph yelled, throwing himself off his spot on the carriage as a bolt of lightning struck the place he'd been sitting.

The Baroness slid back in the carriage, repacking the Amulet Shard into the box and sliding it beneath the seat. She then opened the door, stepping out to face the threat.

The tall young man from earlier stood smirking at them, electricity dancing along his ridiculous fur-trimmed coat as it fluttered in the breeze of the open field. Holger was yelling curses at him, but he didn't seem to hear the dark-haired man, if the large, spiked sound pods covering his ears were anything to go on.

What an arrogant little brat, she thought. She'd enjoy teaching him to know his place.

"Where's your little friend?" she sneered at him, remembering the pink-haired girl from earlier.

The boy only smiled at her. So he could hear after all. How irritating. When he opened his mouth, however, his deep voice only uttered one phrase.

"She's busy losing."

"It doesn't count if you cheated!" a shrill voice screamed out from behind her, and the Baroness didn't have time to react as she saw an inferno engulf the carriage, causing both her and Holger to throw themselves forward to escape the searing heat. The horses screeched, terrified by flames licking so close to them.

The old woman scrambled back, crawling away from the blaze as she looked over her shoulder.

Standing on top of the carriage amidst the flames was the pink-haired girl from before. She stared down at the three dark guild members, a feral smile growing on her face. Dear God, did she have _fangs_?

"Be careful, Nat. Don't melt the damn thing before we even have a chance to return it," the man behind her warned.

"Worry about yourself, Laxus!" she yelled at him, tearing her gaze away from the shocked faces of the Baroness and her underlings.

"Laxus?" Christoph called from somewhere to her left, "Laxus _Dreyar_?! Holy shit, these guys are from Fairy Tail, Baroness!"

"I don't care if they're Wizard Saints! Put out that fire and take care of them!" she screamed and she stood up.

They didn't need to be told twice. Christoph immediately shot a hand, clouds forming above the little fire mage's head. As he closed his fist, a torrent of water fell from the sky, extinguishing the flames she stood among, soaking her to the bone.

"Nice trick, but you might want to do your research before you try to use flames against a weather mage," the redhead told the dripping girl.

To his surprise, she started laughing at him.

"You should do your own research," she cackled, and his eyes widened as her skin began to steam. "You knew who Laxus was, but I wonder if you know _me_?"

She tilted her head back, then, and before his incredulous eyes, the carriage erupted again, a pillar of red-gold flame extending heavenward.

It dawned on him, the pieces clicking in his head.

"Salamander," he whispered, voice nearly inaudible over the roar of the flames.

The flames extinguished all at once. And the girl beamed, completely unharmed save for a slight singe to her clothes. "That's right. Now get ready."

He was unable to defend himself when she leapt from the carriage, screaming out a "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack," that sent him flying backwards.

Holger's jaw dropped as he saw the small girl leap into the sky and bring down twin waves of fire onto his partner. She landed like a cat in the place Christoph had been, righting herself to go stalking after where the redhead landed.

"Don't just stand there, Laxus!" she called over her shoulder as she descended upon the weather mage, who was busy trying to scramble backwards.

Holger's eyes shot to where the other wizard still stood, not having moved since his initial assault. The blonde sighed and rotated his neck. He raised an eyebrow at Holger, shrugging.

"She's a pain, but I can't say no to her."

The dark haired man barely had time to activate his own magic before the younger man shot out a bolt of lightning that hit him square in the chest.

"Huh. That's actually pretty cool," Laxus remarked as Holger stood unmoved, his body covered from head to toe in segmented stone.

"Thanks," Holger bit out before rushing him.

Laxus dodged the haymaker, countering with a blow on his own. The force of his electrically charged fist against Holger's face shattered the protective layer and sent his opponent staggering back.

"What the…" the dark haired wizard stuttered, looking at Laxus in shock.

"I said it was cool, not practical," the blonde said, before connecting with a roundhouse that sent Holger flying in the same direction Christoph had flown moments before.

Baroness Jia watched as the Fairy Tail mages joyfully took her subordinates apart, raining down blow after blow as Holger and Christoph struggled to provide even a mediocre defense. She trembled with rage, knowing that their attackers were toying with them.

Well, it suited her purposes fine if they were arrogant enough to ignore a seemingly harmless old woman. While the Fairy Tail wizards' backs were turned, she crept toward the burnt husk of the carriage. The bench seat was all but ashes, but the magically reinforced box had managed to withstand the inferno. She opened it and removed the Amulet Shard, wrapping it in the shawl that had been draped over her shoulders.

Moving back around, she made short work of the nearest horse's harness. She hoped that it wasn't completely crazed from the shock of the Salamander's attack. However skilled of a rider she may be, she was still elderly and didn't fancy getting thrown off the damn thing. She had a foot in the stirrup when the deep voice of the blond imbecile interrupted her.

"You probably don't want to do that."

She turned, frozen, to look at the two mages, standing feet from her. Looking past them, she saw her unconscious companions, tied together with what looked to be the remnants of the cloaks they'd both been wearing.

"Useless," she spat, and took her foot from the stirrup to face the two young people head on.

"Just give us the rock, lady." The Salamander prompted, stretching her arms above her head. "I don't want to fight an old hag."

"You don't?" Baroness Jia sighed, dropping her shoulders. "Because this old hag really wants to fight you!"

Before either Laxus or Natsumi could react, the old woman shot out webs from her fingertips, grabbing the dragon slayer around the waist and dragging her forward.

"Ah!" the Baroness stopped Laxus short as he lunged forward. "I wouldn't do that. You take another step, and my spider ropes will crush her ribcage." She spun Natsumi around so the girl's back was to her. "Look at that pretty face, Laxus. I'd surely hate to be responsible for it to stop being so lovely."

Laxus straightened, looking at the old woman with a blank stare.

Natsumi struggled against the bonds, and the Baroness shook her roughly.

"Don't bother, little girl. My spider ropes are impervious to most elemental spells, including fire. So if you're friend doesn't cooperate, I'm afraid I'm going to have to punish you." She punctuated the threat by tightening the ropes, making the girl's breath hitch.

"Do you understand?" she asked the lightning mage. He put his hands up in surrender, glaring at her.

The Baroness smiled. "Good boy. You're quite obedient. I don't know where those nasty rumors get their information."

"S-Shut up, hag." Natsumi ground out.

"What was that, dear?" she asked, tightening the ropes once more, the pink-haired girl's breathless gasp music to her ears.

"Just be quiet, Nat." Laxus said in a level tone, not taking his eyes off the old woman.

"No!" she choked out. "I'm not going to lose to some crusty old lady!"

Baroness Jia laughed as she felt the girl's temperature rise from beneath the restraints.

"I already told you it was useless, you stupid girl! My ropes are resistant—"

"To most elemental attacks!" Natsumi screamed through the increasing pressure of the ropes on her lungs. "You took me instead of Laxus for a reason, then. Which means—"

Laxus laughed. "You're a genius, Nat."

"Lightning Flame Dragon Mode!" Sparks broke out along the girl's body, and the Baroness gasped, struggling to maintain her hold on her.

"With the flames of my right hand, and the thunder of my left," the dragon slayer gasped out, "Lightning Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

The resulting cataclysm slammed the Baroness against the remains of the carriage, immediately knocking her unconscious. Even Laxus, who'd been prepared for her attack, was moved back several paces. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking away the stars that danced in the corners of his vision from the sheer brightness of the explosion.

Natsumi stood, unmoved from what had been the epicenter of her attack. Laxus approached her, ruffling her hair with a smile on his face.

"Was the look on her face hilarious?" Natsumi asked him, a huge grin engulfing her face. "I bet it was great."

"I don't know. You sort of lit the place up. I'm sure it was awesome, though," he agreed. "That was a really good idea, by the way."

She beamed. "Thanks. I saw how worried you looked, so I figured I'd pull out the big guns."

"I wasn't worried."

"Sure you weren't," she laughed, going over to the limp form of the Baroness and picking up the lump of fabric that barely clung to the Amulet Shard.

"I wasn't. I knew that you'd be pissed off if I jumped in, so I let you take her."

"Uh huh. Right."

The blonde knew she wasn't going to let it go. So what if he had been worried? It'd been a knee-jerk reaction, uncontrollable. It had passed after a few seconds, however, when he reminded himself how stupid worrying about her capabilities was. She may not be the greatest mind out there, but he hadn't been lying when he'd called her a genius. Natsumi was a genius at what she did, and he was glad he hadn't stepped in for more reasons than one. Not only did he spare himself Natsumi's lecture on respecting her abilities, but it was a joy to watch her in her element, displaying her talents as she dispatched opponents.

So he let her think that he'd been worried about her, knowing it made her happy.

"Whatever. Let's focus on dealing with them, though," he motioned to the old lady and her cronies. "Sevoir was going to contact the Magic Council while we were gone, so we'll probably have to drag the bastards back, since someone thought it was a good idea to spook the horses half to death," he glared at her.

"You're just mad that I took out more of them than you," she sniffed, throwing her nose in the air.

* * *

Laxus and Natsumi got lucky. On the way back to the Sevoir estate, they were intercepted by a detachment of the 6th Magic Council Custody Enforcement Unit who told them that they'd been sent this way by the aristocrat.

After initial explanations, and the bearing of all three suspects' Crimson Arrow guild marks, the soldiers took the dark wizards into custody.

"Our captain is waiting at Mr. Sevoir's estate. I understand that matters extended past a simple kidnapping case," one of the arresting officers told them as they made their way back to the mansion grounds.

Once there, Natsumi was surprised to see not only Sevoir and his wife, but Priscilla, Trini, and their grandfather sitting at the Sevoir's enormous dining table. Along with them sat a man not much older than Laxus, with close-cropped brown hair and glasses, who she assumed was the captain of the Magical Enforcement Unit.

"Please, have a seat, you two," Sevoir said, looking much more animated now that his wife wasn't in immediate danger.

They did as they were told, and the captain cleared his throat.

"First of all, thank you for apprehending the dark wizards," he said, nodding to Natsumi and Laxus. "I gather that you were able to recover the object in question?"

Natsumi held up the blue stone and set it on the table, sliding it towards the center. The captain nodded once more, reaching over to take it.

"I'll see to it that this object is turned over to the proper department. Now as for the matter of the object's theft…"

"I'm afraid that would be my fault," Sevoir admitted. "I wrongfully seized the object from Eagle Eye's guild master, then threatened him with the loss of his guild hall property. Crimson Arrow had abducted my wife, and I felt compelled to do whatever I was able to ensure her safety. Miss Priscilla was only acting in her grandfather's best interest when she became involved, so if there is punishment to be had, it should be for me."

The captain leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face. "Priscilla wouldn't face punishment. Since the lawful owner of the stone was her grandfather, unless he desired to press charges, there'd be nothing I could do. You, on the other hand, are liable."

Sevoir nodded, resigned.

"It wasn't his fault!" Natsumi defended, ignoring Laxus's warning hand on her shoulder. "He was only doing it because he didn't think he had a choice!"

"Quiet. I don't need to be lectured by the likes of Fairy Tail," he held up a hand to silence the pink haired mage.

"As I was saying," he continued. "You are responsible. However, I do understand that you were under extreme duress when you acted."

"Master Croft, has Mr. Sevoir rectified the situation with you to your satisfaction?" he asked the elderly man.

He nodded. "He returned the deed to the land our guild is built on as soon as I got here. I don't blame him. If it had been my wife, I would have done the same. Now that the Amulet Shard is in the proper hands, I can't say I have anything to complain about."

The captain looked between the two men, then sighed.

"It's not exactly protocol, but in light of the events, I'm not going to take you in for illegal seizure of a magical artifact. You seem contrite, and though your reparations are out of the scope of the Magic Council's concern, I see no reason to believe you'll be a repeat offender."

The aristocrat brightened. "Thank you, officer. I appreciate your consideration."

The captain stood then, Amulet Shard in hand. "Then I believe this concludes matters. I'll see myself out. Have a good day, all of you," he bowed slightly to the table, then departed, followed by two subordinate soldiers that had been standing at attention in the doorway.

"Thank you all," Sevoir said when the Enforcement Unit departed. He turned to Natsumi and Laxus. "Without you, I would've never seen my wife again. Who knows what horrors those monsters would have inflicted upon her? I'm in your debt."

"And I am, as well. I owe my life to you," Celeste nodded, a gentle smile on her pale face.

Natsumi shrugged. "It's our job to take out creeps like that. Plus, it's not like you didn't already cough up some major dough—ow!" she glared at Laxus, who'd stepped on her foot to shut her up.

"It really wasn't a problem," he told them.

Sevoir only laughed, then turned to Eagle Eye's master.

"And thank you, old friend. I didn't deserve the kindness you just showed me, but I thank you for it anyway. I do sincerely apologize for my actions against you, and I hope that we can move past this in the future. There's no finer expedition partner than you."

"Water under the bridge, John. I understand," the old man smiled.

"And apologies to you girls, as well. I didn't mean to put undue stress on your family," he nodded to Priscilla and Trini.

"I didn't even know that 'Cilla had done anything," Trini shrugged. "I was just worried about Mistress' wellbeing. I'm glad you're safe," she smiled.

"It ended up working out, even if Natsumi did sprain my ankle," Priscilla threw a halfhearted glare in the dragon slayer's direction, who was still busy scowling at Laxus. "Though I'm sorry for taking it in hindsight. I wanted it in a museum and I was scared Grandpa was going to lose his guild, but it's not worth anyone's life. I'm glad I wasn't responsible for anything bad happening to anybody."

"Then I think this calls for a celebration!" Sevoir rose from his seat. "Tonight, the entirety of Eagle Eye is invited here to celebrate not only my lovely wife's return," he batted his eyes dramatically at Celeste, who giggled, "but the successful donation of the Amulet Shard to the Museum of Magic! Will you make the necessary arrangements, Trini?"

The girl in question rose, curtsying. "Of course, Master. I'll get right on it."

"You two will stay as well, won't you? After all, you're the guests of honor," he winked at them.

The Fairy Tail mages exchanged a look, then turned back to their former employer. "We really should be getting back. We've got a long train ride tomorrow," Laxus said.

Everyone visibly deflated.

"But it'd be a sad day when a Fairy Tail wizard gave up the chance to party!" Natsumi exclaimed, and everyone let out a cheer, excited they'd get to the opportunity to see the two dragon slayers in their natural habitat.

* * *

Sometime in the early hours of the morning, the two mages stumbled back to their hotel room, drunk and stuffed from the night's celebrations.

They'd shown Eagle Eye what a real party was, alright. From Natsumi's impromptu fire displays to Laxus's stories of his travels, they were the center of attention, everyone wanting to know the details of the Amulet Shard's 'daring' recovery.

"That was so much fun," Natsumi giggled as she kicked off her sandals and fell face first on their bed.

Laxus followed her, shucking as many clothes as he could before joining her.

"Yeah, but getting up tomorrow is going to suck ass. Between that, the hangover we're both going to have, and the train ride, we'll be lucky if we make it back to Magnolia in one piece."

She groaned, rolling over onto his back, slapping his bare shoulders halfheartedly. "I don't want to think about that. I just want to enjoy the rest of our last night here."

He turned his head, trying to look up at her and failing. "I thought you'd be dying to get back to see Happy and everyone else."

Natsumi sighed and moved to kiss him. She gently moved her lips with his for a few moments, before pulling away. "I am, and I do miss them, just like I know you miss the Thunder Legion," she pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "But…"

"But you've gotten used to this?" he offered, finishing her sentence.

He felt her nod against him.

"I like being around you all time, and when we go back, we're going to be with our own teams again. I did miss Happy and Lucy and Erza and even Gray, but who knows when the next time we see each other will be after we get back?"

Laxus rolled over, then, knocking her off his back. Once he turned over, he pulled her back to him so he could look her in the face.

"Who knew you were a sentimental drunk, huh?" he smiled up at her, leaning up to kiss her chin. "Sober Nat would make fun of you."

"Shut up," she groaned.

"I'm serious," he kissed her again, on the mouth this time, long and lingering. "I'm not going anywhere. Sure, we'll both be out on jobs, but it's not like we're never going to see each other again."

"I'll miss you, too, you know," he went on. "Not that I'm ever going to say that again. But it's true, and no matter how long I'm gone, I'll always be back."

"Promise?" she mumbled, snuggling up to his chest.

"Yeah, I promise," he laughing, stroking her hair, still soft even after the day's exertions.

"I promise, too," she whispered.

He smiled, clutching her tighter. "You better." With a tug of her hips, he brought her back up to eye level, drawing her into another kiss. It was true they bickered more often than not, and he still thought she could be real pain in the ass when she wanted to be, but he loved this girl more than he could ever feel comfortable admitting to anyone but himself. He tried to make up for it by pouring everything he felt into their kiss, holding her tight as he parted her lips with his tongue, sighing into how she yielded to him, so soft and gentle.

The blonde pulled away for a brief moment, panting. "Plus, even if this job took a fucking eternity, there's no rule that says we couldn't do another one again sometime."

A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. "An S-Class mission?"

"Don't push your luck," he mumbled as he leaned in again, stifling her protests about them already proving that they could work as a team.

He'd heard that alcohol made sexual performance difficult. Having—surprisingly—never gotten around to experimenting after getting buzzed, he wasn't expecting much of himself. But as her hands slid down from his chest to his groin, cupping him through his pants, he was finding it all too easy to give into the urge that was becoming deliciously familiar.

They decided the best way to combat a hangover the following morning was to simply not sleep, choosing instead to occupy themselves in an entirely more active fashion.

* * *

 **Note:** I really, really loved writing this chapter. How many of you thought that Sevoir was an irredeemable douchebag? I know the story wasn't really about the mission itself, but I wanted to write a well-developed subplot rather than just a token "they went on a job and yadda yadda then they banged." Hopefully I managed to get you to care about Sevoir, Celeste, Priscilla, and the like. I did start out making him the villain, but as I wrote him, I couldn't make him bad. He just seemed too cooky and nice to actually get off being evil. Plus, having the people you love in danger can make a person do a lot of terrible things. Regardless, all's well that ends well, thanks to Laxus and Nat. Sevoir and the Eagle Eye master get to be bros again, Trini isn't scared stiff anymore, and Celeste is home safe (not to mention the dark guild got what was coming to them).

I'm sorry to say, though, that this was the penultimate chapter :'(. It's been so cool posting this and getting such an overwhelmingly positive response that I don't want it to end. But we've got one more full chapter and an epilogue, so I'll refrain from getting too weird about stuff right now. As usual, I'd absolutely love it if you'd take the time to write a review and tell me what you thought, especially since I really worked extra hard on this one. No pressure, though!

 **Next Chapter Preview:** The Triumphant Return that No One Asked For

 _"Wow, Laxus, did you lose a bet or something? You look like shit," Cana laughed from the doorway. "I was heading out for a job, but something tells me I'm going to want to see this._


	20. The Triumphant Return No One Asked For

**AN:** Ahhhh! I'm so sorry that I didn't post on Saturday! I've been doing so well, but final exams are approaching at school and I've got about 1000 irons in the fire (Research Thesis. Kill me now), as well as some medical issues that I've been dealing with (nothing that serious, but annoying nonetheless). But hopefully you guys can forgive me, because this is the last chapter!

I hate to just sort of spit it out, but I've sort of run out of things to say, besides that I'm still so thankful for each and every one of you and I hope those of you in the States had a very happy Thanksgiving!

Also, don't be too sad, as there's an epilogue still waiting.

* * *

 **The Triumphant Return that No One Asked For**

Laxus wasn't sure if he regretted his actions the night before as he bent over the toilet in the small train station bathroom, heaving up what felt like pure stomach acid.

The sex the previous night—or that morning, but Laxus wasn't splitting hairs about it—had been amazing: warm, wet, sweaty. The lightning wizard had had Natsumi screaming for hours, whether she was on top of him, underneath him, or slammed against the nearest wall. For someone so fit, even he couldn't deny the soreness that had settled in his thighs and shoulders, evidence of a night spent thoroughly enjoying himself. He'd felt absolutely blissed out and nearly boneless, sure that he'd fucked his hangover away, right up until the train started moving.

The minute it did, however, his head exploded, making up for lost time as it punished him. He wasn't able to actually form coherent thoughts, much less check on how Natsumi was faring. From the vague choking noises and groans, he figured she was probably at least as bad as he was.

He spent half an hour with his face pressed up against the cool window of the train, taking in deep, gasping breaths that made him gag half the time before he couldn't take it anymore, not bothering to announce where he was going before sprinting full tilt to the bathroom.

Where he proceeded to think about his actions as what felt like a week's worth of meals came back up.

Regardless of the consequences, he decided that it'd been worth it, and given the chance, he'd probably even do it again. He was sure that probably meant he was fucked up, but he figured that if most people knew what sex with Nat was like, knew what it felt like to have Nat love them, they'd understand.

Getting up from the floor on shaky legs, he moved to the sink, opting to just stick his whole head under the faucet. The pounding of the water helped soothe the pounding of his brain against his skull, in a weird way, and he took the opportunity to take in huge gulps of water, hoping that his body would forgive him for letting it get so dehydrated.

He didn't bother attempting to dry his hair as he exited the bathroom, letting it instead flop everywhere, uncaring of how ridiculous he must look. The other passengers seemed to sense that he didn't have the energy or the mental capability of dealing with them, and he was spared their questioning looks as he hobbled his way back to his seat.

Natsumi, for better or worse, was completely unconscious in her seat, hair plastered down on her forehead from the same cold sweat he suffered from.

Part of him was thankful she'd passed out. When she got like that, he felt the need to take care of her, and he just didn't have it in him right now. The most he could do was make sure her head was turned to the side so she wouldn't choke if she puked, then he collapsed in his own seat and slid his sound pods over his ears, hoping he'd be lucky enough to sleep for a few hours.

He wasn't lucky. The next four hours were a whirlwind of disoriented nausea as the train rattled forward. About halfway through the ride, Natsumi woke up just long enough to copy his earlier journey to the bathroom, clutching both hands over her mouth as she ran. When she came back looking pale and drawn, he let her cuddle up next to him despite how awful he still felt. She seemed to understand, though, and managed to fall back asleep after she tucked herself into the soft fabric of his coat.

Laxus didn't think he ever felt a greater since of relief when they pulled into the Magnolia station that afternoon. Though he was pretty sure his hangover was gone, he still felt like shit, and on top of that, Natsumi didn't wake up when they intercom announced their arrival, so he had to carry her as well as both of their bags off the damn train.

He debated just saying to hell with it and going back to his place, not really in the mood to face the rest of the guild when he was feeling so poorly. But when he looked down at Natsumi in his arms, he knew she'd probably want to see Lucy and that damn cat as soon as possible, so he sucked it up and headed down the familiar streets to the guild.

As he walked, the lingering sense of disorientation disappeared, though his headache remained. Natsumi stirred in his arms, wiggling against him as she yawned.

"Careful," he warned her, "or I'll drop you."

She groaned, trying to stretch. "Mean," she sighed, but smiled, eyes still closed. "You're not supposed to be mean when I wake up."

"Not everyone got to sleep on the ride over. And I'm serious, stop moving or I really will drop you. I feel like shit," he explained.

She frowned. "I'm sorry. You can set me down."

"We're almost there anyway," he said as he kept walking.

The girl nuzzled into him. "Never mind about what I said about you being mean."

He rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything.

Before he opened the guild doors, she wrapped her arm around his neck and tugged him down, brushing her lips against his. The blonde pulled back from her, eliciting a whine from the dragon slayer.

"Uh, no. You puked earlier," he explained.

Glaring up at him, she pouted. "So did you! Now come here," she commanded, tugging him down push her lips against his with more force than her previous attempt.

She had a point. He accepted her kiss, moving his mouth with hers at an unhurried pace. All thoughts of their mutual vomiting history disappeared from his mind as she locked his bottom lip between hers and sucked, bringing her hands up into his hair.

The sound of the door pushing open, followed by a loud wolf whistle, brought Laxus crashing back down to Earth.

"Wow, Laxus, did you lose a bet or something? You look like shit," Cana laughed from the doorway. "I was heading out for a job, but something tells me I'm going to want to see this. Come on," she gestured for him to join her as she walked back inside, completely ignoring his pissed off expression.

He let Natsumi back on her feet and gave her back her bag, but didn't let go of her, choosing to keep a hand between her shoulder blades as they stepped into the guild.

"And so it begins," he sighed, as the sounds of clapping and cheers greeted them.

He pushed her forward, ignoring the applause as he guided her to an empty table, then plopped down in a chair. If anyone wanted to start something, then they could damn well come to them.

It didn't take long for the demon hordes to descend. The Thunder Legion was, unsurprisingly, the first. He had to forcibly fight them off as they all attempted to hug him at once, blubbering about how much they'd missed him and how glad they were that he'd returned.

"One at a time, God!" He yelled as pushed Evergreen and Bickslow off.

"We're just happy to see you, Laxus," Freed said, but heeded their leader's words and sedately pulled up a chair.

"Yeah, I got that," the blonde eyed the other two as they sat down on either side of Freed. He prepared himself to field an endless string of half-coherent questions.

When they just continued to stare at him with eager eyes, he began to get uncomfortable. He looked over to Natsumi, but saw she was busy cuddling with the cat, both of them looking like they were about six seconds from squeezing the stuffing out of each other. Knowing he'd get no help on that front, he turned back to the idiot factory that was his team.

"What?" he asked them just get them to stop gawking at him.

"Man, what happened to your hair?" Bickslow blurted out, deadpan.

He grunted. "Train ride ended up being even worse than usual. Ended up dunking my head in the sink."

"I like it. You actually look kind of cute," Ever commented, laughing.

Freed nodded. "It suits you."

"Enough about my damn hair," he glared at them.

"Then tell us why you found the train ride so taxing. Are you ill?" The rune mage asked, reaching forward to feel Laxus's forehead. He batted the hand away with a scowl.

"No. Our client threw us a party last night for saving his ass. I didn't get much sleep, so between that, the hangover, and the usual shit, it was a five hour nightmare."

Bickslow's answering grin was enough to put Laxus on guard. Shit.

"You didn't get much sleep? You're usually so good about that sort of thing. Other things on your mind?" the knight cackled, his tongue flopping out of his mouth.

"Yeah, like how I was going to have to look at your stupid face again," Laxus quipped.

"Awh, come on, Laxus!" Bickslow whined. "You dumped us here for over a week. The least you can do is give us the details!"

"The least I can do is allow you the ability to actually take off that helmet. But I'm reconsidering," he threatened. He didn't owe these clowns anything that he didn't want to tell them. If he gave them an inch, they'd try to take a mile, and they all knew it.

Ever glared at him from behind her glasses. "Fine, be that way. It's not like everyone here doesn't already know what you've been up to. You all but admitted it just now, anyway," she huffed, flipping her hair.

"I didn't do shit, so lay off."

"Bullshit," Bickslow laughed. "God, you're such a liar."

"We have it on good authority that certain…illicit activities took place during the course of your mission." Freed hinted, the barest hint of a smirk on his face.

Laxus was really not feeling up to teaching anyone to mind their own business today, but he needed to nip this in the bud. His life wasn't going to be fuel for the rumor mill, even if the rumor mill happened to be disturbingly accurate.

"Who?" he asked simply, though with the way a certain celestial mage hadn't yet come by to say hi to her roommate coupled with how she was currently staring at the mission board like it held the answer to life, he bet he could guess.

Freed followed his leader's gaze to Lucy, his smile growing. "I'm sure you already have an idea."

Laxus glared at the Heartfilia girl's back, daring her to turn around. When she continued to pretend not to notice, he gave up the charade.

"Lucy!" he yelled across the way, the loudness of his voice making her jump. She turned slowly, the guilty look on her face saying everything he needed to know.

He beckoned her over with a flick of his wrist, and he could see her eyes flicker from side to side, looking for viable escape routes. The moment Laxus saw the hope leave her eyes, he smiled, and she made her way over like a lamb to the slaughter.

"H-Hey Laxus! What's up?" she stuttered as she approached, giving him a terrified facsimile of a smile.

Laxus smiled back at her, all teeth. This would be way too easy. "Care to tell me why everyone seems to think they know how Nat and I have been spending our time?" He kept his voice light, but her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

She cracked immediately.

"It was all their fault!" She pointed to his teammates, who'd all doubled over in laughter. "Stop laughing! You knew this would happen!" she screamed at them.

"And you can blame Erza and Gray, too! They all ganged up on me!" she cried, looking back to Laxus, terrified. "Gray was cracking jokes, then Erza was convinced you were a cradle-robbing pervert, and then before I knew it they were all interrogating me! I'm sorry!"

Before Laxus could lay into her, he heard Natsumi's laughter from over his shoulder. "Oh God, cradle-robbing pervert! Nice one, Luce!" she wheezed, slapping the table.

Laxus glared at her. "Don't encourage them!" he snapped, but it had no effect. She continued laughing, the cat chiming in about Lucy not being very smart to say that straight to Laxus's face.

"You forgot to mention when she told us that you guys made out in the basement," Bickslow added.

"You mean Macao or Wakaba didn't tell you?" Natsumi asked, trying to catch her breath.

The Thunder Legion exchanged shocked glances. "What?!" Ever asked, leaning over the table toward Natsumi before Laxus pushed her back into her seat.

The dragon slayer cocked her head to the side at the older girl's question. "They were the ones that walked in on us."

"They neglected to mention that," Ever said through gritted teeth. The fairy mage sent a disgruntled look toward the bar, where the older men were nursing drinks with a snickering Cana.

"Don't look at us," Wakaba called, not looking back. "I may not be a spring chicken, but I still use my junk sometimes. I don't want to lose it anytime soon just 'cause I couldn't keep my mouth shut."

Laxus wished more people shared his philosophy, but apparently everyone else here was a moron. Or suicidal. Or both.

"So there. Now everyone knows. What's the big deal?" Natsumi asked the lightning wizard.

Bickslow cackled. "Yeah, Laxus, lighten up. No pun intended." He looked toward the fire dragon slayer, then, his lips forming a smirk around his wagging tongue.

"So, Nat, how did you like the trip? Did Laxus behave himself?" he asked, and his compatriots had to stifle their laughter.

"It was awesome!" she answered him, standing up and beginning an exaggerated retelling of their mission, pantomiming the fight against Crimson Arrow and doing impressions of John Sevoir, which, to her credit, were pretty dead on, in Laxus's opinion.

"Yeah, yeah, that's great, but what _else_ did you do?" Evergreen asked, clearly not interested in the broad strokes of the mission.

Natsumi looked confused, before her eyes lit up. "Well, the night after I took down the girl that took the stupid rock, I tried to use the hairbrush Lucy packed for me, but it got stuck in my hair. But Laxus helped and ended up doing it for me! He's really good at it."

"Wait a minute!" Lucy cried, hurrying over to Natsumi's side and opening her bag. "Tell me which one you used! I _told_ you to use the wide toothed one first, and then go back over it with the one with all the bristles," she muttered as she dug through the contents of the rucksack.

Meanwhile, the Thunder Legion was marveling at the full-blown blush that erupted on their leader's face at Natsumi's confession.

"Look at that! I didn't think it was possible to turn that color!" Bickslow howled. The knight stood up, the force of his laughter too much to keep him contained in his chair. He paced back and forth, causing the people surrounding tables to turn and witness firsthand how cherry red Laxus was.

Evergreen didn't laugh, only looked at the lightning mage who, at the moment, looked so very un-Laxis-like, with his golden hair messily flopping around his face and a blush creeping all the way down his neck. She was shocked at how the only word she could come up to describe the sight was _cute_. The word wouldn't normally come close to describing him—she'd go for masculine, powerful, sexy if she was being honest—but never cute. The current Laxus before her was someone she didn't recognize. She could see this boy, barely older than herself, brushing the hair of the pink-haired girl currently squabbling with her friend, and that was just weird. She'd grown up with Laxus, thought of him as an older brother, someone to look up to. But sloppy, tomboyish, downright vulgar Natsumi had managed to bring out a side of him that she hadn't thought existed. She had a new respect for the girl, though she wasn't sure if she herself could handle seeing Laxus so flustered again. It was just too strange.

"I didn't think you'd ever willingly agree to take part in something so domestic," Freed remarked, startling both Evergreen and Laxus.

"I didn't! She had the damn thing all tangled. It was either help her or cut it out."

And of course, _of course_ , Natsumi would choose that moment to abandon Lucy's lecture about proper haircare and tune back into the conversation. She stood and draped herself over the back of Laxus's chair, giggling against him.

"You wouldn't cut my hair. You like it too much," she said, her lips against the back of his neck, smiling as the temperature of his skin increased the more embarrassed he got.

"Shut the fuck up!" he yelled at her amidst new peals of laughter.

"Don't yell at Nat just because you have a hair fetish, Laxus!" Cana yelled from the bar, having apparently decided his teammates weren't doing a good enough job of ruining his life. He scowled over at her, face still aflame, to see Macao and Wakaba's backs shaking with laughter.

"Shut up! All of you!" Gramps' voice boomed from the upper level. "I don't need to hear about my grandson's weird sexual preferences!"

Laxus flew out of his chair, sending Natsumi stumbling back as he turned to look up at his grandfather, who presided over them from behind the banister of the second floor.

"I don't have any weird preferences, Old Man!" he yelled back, "And if you don't want to hear about it, then don't listen!"

"It's hard not to hear when you brats keep screaming at the top of your lungs! So keep—"

"Oh my God, Nat! I gave you these for an emergency and you come back with two!" Lucy screamed, advancing on the fire dragon slayer while waving the telltale box in her hands. "Two! Do you know how many were in here?! 24! What were you doing, dispensing them to the needy?!" She seized the shorter girl, shaking her back and forth by her vest. "Because unless you can either time travel or Laxus has the stamina of a freakin' freight train, there is no way you could have possibly had time to have that much sex! You're human beings, damn it, not rabbits! You're paying me back for all of these!" The blonde girl finished her rant, panting.

Only after she'd caught her breath did she realize the guild was silent enough to hear a pin drop. Natsumi blinked placidly at her, but a glance around the room made her heart drop to her stomach.

Laxus had lost the deep flush, and instead a completely blank expression looked back at her, the tall man looking too shell-shocked to fully process what she'd said.

She felt her face heat up when she realized everybody in the guild was staring at her. Everyone from Laki by the request board to the Master on the upper floor wore looks of complete astonishment, no one knowing how to react to the content of her tirade.

"I-I…uh…uh…" she floundered, face burning, still gripping Natsumi's shirt.

"Lucy, why are Natsumi and Laxus rabbits? Did they eat a lot of carrots or something?" Happy's voice trailed up from her feet. Looking down, she found the cat staring up at her with wide, shining eyes. She whimpered.

The celestial mage couldn't tell who the first to break was, but one person's muffled guffaw suddenly led to a tumultuous explosion of laughter, wolf whistles, and cheered congratulations throughout the whole guild.

The deafening sound almost bowled Laxus over, and he decided that yes, this was how he was going to go out. He hadn't imagined that dying of embarrassment and humiliation was even possible, but yet, here he was.

"Nice one, freight train!"

"You guys don't mess around, do you?"

"I demand to be the maid of honor at your wedding, Natsumi!"

"Lucy, you're the ultimate wingman!"

That was it. Laxus couldn't take this anymore. He sprang into action, grabbing hold of the back of Natsumi's scarf before pulling her out of Lucy's hold. The man then proceeded to drag the struggling girl from the guild, slamming the doors behind him.

"Hey, stop it!" Natsumi protested, yanking her scarf out of his grip.

"Why, so we can go back in there and be a laughing stock?" No way was he letting people get away with that. He'd have to think of a way to get them all for this.

"They aren't laughing at us, stupid!"

"What do you call that, then?" he gestured to the doors, where the sounds of their guild mates' celebrations still loudly poured through.

She rolled her eyes, bringing her hands to her hips. "They're having _fun_. You know, because they're happy and excited? You do know what those are, right?"

He didn't answer her, only crossed his arms and glared.

Natsumi sighed. "I forgot how sensitive you are," she muttered.

"What the fuck's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you get bent out of shape about stuff that doesn't matter. Bickslow and Cana and everyone else are only hounding you about it because they know it bothers you. They're not doing it to be mean, but it _is_ kind of fun to watch you get all worked up. I've never seen you turn that shade of red before," she giggled.

"Yeah, whatever. It's not funny."

"But it is! If you just let people joke around with you, maybe they wouldn't tease you so much. That, or just hit them and be done with it. That's what I do when the stripper messes with me," she went on. "Speaking of that bastard, I didn't see him in there," she pursed her lips, wondering why nearly everyone else she was close with was at the guild that day except for him.

Laxus relaxed his posture, but not his sour expression. "It's not that simple."

She looked back up at him and shook her head, laughing. Stepping toward him, she wrapped her arms around him. "It is if you just relax. They're taking the piss because they like you. No one would bother if they were afraid or didn't care. Just let them be your friends."

"Why do you sound like Mira? She told me that same shit forever ago."

"Well, she was right, then!" she said, and he wrapped his arms around her.

They were quiet for several minutes, content to hold each other. He focused on taking deep breaths, taking in the intoxicating scent of her hair. She just pressed closer, wanting him to know that she had his back even if she thought he was being ridiculous.

When he loosened his grip around her shoulders, she looked up at him. "Are you ready to go back in?"

"Not really, but I don't really have a choice, do I?" he sighed.

She frowned. "If it really bothers you that much, we can go. But your friends missed you, and I haven't gotten to say hi to everyone yet…or punch Gajeel in the face. I also think I heard Erza yelling something about being my maid of honor? Lucy won't be able to reign her in by herself."

He managed to crack a smile at that, though in his opinion, the blonde girl deserved to deal with Titania's overzealousness. Especially if that meant he didn't have to answer any weird questions from the requip mage about his fictitious wedding.

Heaving one last sigh, Laxus steeled himself, looking into Natsumi's eyes.

"Alright, fine. We'll go back in. I'm sending the next person that looks at me wrong to the infirmary, though," he growled, putting a hand on the door. The radiant smile she rewarded him with made his heart skip a beat. He hoped that would be enough to get him through the rest of the day with these bastards.

"Wait a minute," she stopped him as he went to enter. "It got really quiet all of a sudden, didn't it?"

She was right. The boisterous noise that pervaded the guild had stopped, and he wasn't sure whether he should be suspicious or not.

Oh well, he thought. It's not like he could put off facing everyone forever.

Natsumi put a hand on his coat, and once again he felt thankful that she seemed to intuitively know when physical contact would help him.

When they stepped back into the guild, they found the faces of their contrite friends lined up behind a scowling Mirajane.

"Now what do you say?" she scolded them all, looking from Bickslow on one end to Happy on the other.

"Sorry," they all chorused with varying degrees of sincerity.

Mira smiled then and looked to the couple. "I was in the library with Gray when I heard all the commotion. I know they were just excited, but they should have known when to quit. Or when to keep silent," she shot a sideways glace at Lucy, who squeaked and looked away.

"You're the best, Mira!" Natsumi exclaimed, making the barmaid giggle.

Laxus gave her only a nod, but he knew she got the picture when her smile widened. Shooting the offending parties one last warning glance, she went back to her place behind the bar, leaving them alone with the rest of their idiot friends.

"Well, this isn't awkward at all," Laxus quipped when no one would meet his gaze.

"Awkward? Try walking into a room full of people screaming about how you and Natsumi are going to have a bunch of screaming babies," Gray shuddered.

Natsumi whirled on the ice mage. "Can it, Popsicle!"

"No! I almost puked when Lucy told everyone about what you were up to a few days ago, so I can say whatever I want!"

"Your weak stomach ain't got nothing to do with me, so shut up!" she countered, scowling.

"Only if you apologize for my emotional pain and suffering!" Gray yelled back

"I'm going to make it physical pain and suffering!"

They rushed each other with raised fists, and just like that, the tension broke at the normalcy of the fight. Lucy, deciding to give the lightning mage a wide berth for the time being, walked over to the bar, gesturing for Happy to follow her. Erza busied herself with breaking up the fight, forcing Gray and Natsumi to shake hands, which they did, only to immediately resume the second she turned her back.

Laxus walked up to his teammates, scratching the back of his neck.

After several seconds of nervous silence, Freed spoke first.

"We really do apologize, Laxus. We got ahead of ourselves, and didn't realize it was making you legitimately uncomfortable."

"You never usually get worked up over anything, so it was kind of a shock," Evergreen added, looking guilty. "After all that happened, we were excited that everything worked out."

"Yeah," Bickslow agreed, flipping his visor up so Laxus could see that he was serious, "Basically we're stoked that you two got your shit sorted and stopped making each other miserable, so don't be too pissed, alright? We just wanted to have your back like you always do for us."

Laxus looked at the three of them, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He had been worried that they'd only ever antagonize him about Natsumi, and it'd made him angry and defensive. He reminded himself to thank her—and Mira, while he was at it—for being right. Though they'd gone about it all wrong and made themselves giant pains in his ass in the process, they were his team, his family, and they'd been there when everything seemed like it was going to hell with Natsumi. They'd put up with him when he'd been even more of an asshole than usual, and he'd repaid them by being cagey and…even _more_ of an asshole.

He sighed. "Yeah, I guess I'm sorry for overreacting, or whatever. Just…next time, don't make such a big deal about shit, alright?"

Bickslow raised an eyebrow. "You planning on getting any other girlfriends any time soon?"

Laxus only rolled his eyes.

The Thunder Legion let out communal sigh of relief, happy that their leader didn't seem to be holding their behavior against them.

"So are we good?" Bickslow asked, waggling his eyebrows as well as his tongue.

"Not yet," the lightning mage answered, and before their looks of confusion and disappointment could settle, he sent all three of them flying into a nearby table in a shower of sparks. Natsumi cheered, and he noticed that she was being held up by the scarf by an angry Erza, sporting a bruised cheek and a huge grin. Held by Erza's other hand was a sulking Gray, now shirtless and rocking a savage black eye.

He winked at Natsumi and leisurely walked over to where his teammates lay, peering down at the chaotic pile they'd settled into amidst the ruins of the table. As they sorted themselves, he slid his hands into his pockets, smirking.

They looked up at him with triplet looks of confusion and shock, and he laughed, the sound travelling through the whole guild.

"Now we're good."

And as he looked from his reunited team back to Natsumi, receiving a stern lecture from Erza but looking entirely unapologetic, he decided that, yeah, things really were.

* * *

 **Note:** Wow. It hasn't really set in that this is the last one, but I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Developing the characters and the relationship between Nat and Laxus. One of the things I really wanted to hit was how they both learned to communicate not just with each other, but with the people around them that they cared about the most. I wanted Laxus to learn that he didn't have to face everything alone and that he had friends that cared about him and wanted him happy, and that not everyone was looking for an excuse to cut him down. For Nat, I wanted her to learn how to look beyond face value at people and realize that she could be herself, but that her naivety could hurt people as well. I'm actually really proud of their characterizations, and I hope the story was satisfying to read.

Shoo, I'm getting teary eyed over here.

Anyway, I'll save the sappy stuff for the epilogue. Brace yourselves. Until then!


	21. Epilogue: To You, A Year Later

**AN:** Wow, guys. I'm so sorry to have kept you guys waiting for a few days. It's still finals week at my university, and I've had to spend extra time studying to finish up my semester. But I'm finally up to posting! I'm so so so glad and thankful for the outpouring of all the support for this story and all the compliments you guys have shot my way. You've all been so incredibly kind and encouraging, and I can truly say that I have about the best readers out there and I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to read all the lovely things you've said. It's been a great ride, and you've only made it better.

This is it, I'm afraid. The final installment of Hear Me. It may not be what many of you expected, but I thought this was a fitting and realistic end to the story. I really hope you enjoy it.

* * *

 **Epilogue: To You, a Year Later**

"You might want to slow down on those pancakes, Nat," a shirtless Gray warned from his seat beside the dragon slayer as he watched her decimate the stack of breakfast confections. Luckily, she hadn't managed to get syrup everywhere. Yet.

"You might want to shut the hell up," the girl in question growled, her mouth so full that the threat came out sounding more like 'oo 'ight wa'a shut th'ell up.'

"Be nice, Natsumi," Lucy scolded her friend from the opposite side, "He has some news you might want to hear."

The dragon slayer swallowed her huge mouthful and brandished her fork at Lucy. "What could the Stripper have to say to me?"

"The 'Stripper' is right here, you know," Gray rolled his eyes, ignoring how Natsumi whirled around and held the pointy end of her fork in his face. "And if you don't want to hear any news about the Thunder Legion, then by all means, keep stuffing your face."

Gray barely registered how he was no longer sitting upright on a bar stool, but flat against the ground with a crazy-eyed dragon slayer holding him down, pressing her forehead into his.

"What's Natsumi doing, Lucy?" Happy asked the celestial mage, tugging on her collar. She shrugged. She didn't pretend to know her roommate's motivations any more than the next person, especially recently.

"What do you know?" Natsumi asked Gray, her voice full of uncharacteristic intensity.

He blinked up at her, eyes going wide.

"I said tell me, Droopy Eyes!" she yelled and gave him a good shake when he didn't say anything.

"Okay! Just get off me! Jesus, you're so weird," he pushed her off, but she didn't let go, only continued to stare him down.

"When Juvia was coming back fro her mission yesterday, she told me she ran into Evergreen and Bickslow near the train station. They told her that they were finishing up and were all planning on heading back today." He told her, still trying to get out from underneath the overzealous dragon slayer.

Natsumi hit him in the head. "Why didn't you just say that before, stupid?!"

"I was _going_ to before you decided that pancakes were more important!"

Lucy didn't want this to come to blows again. They'd always fought, but Natsumi had grown increasingly volatile over the past few weeks, and she didn't trust the girl to pull her punches. "Guys, come on," she tried to get their attention. Like she expected, they completely ignored her.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means you're a pig!"

"At least I'm not a dirty exhibitionist! Where are your pants, huh?!"

"That's a big word coming from you!"

Once more, they managed to throw themselves into a grapple. Lucy watched in horror as Gray put Natsumi in a headlock, but was immediately thrown back when the dragon slayer slammed the back of her head into his nose. He cried out and Lucy winced. That had to hurt. To his credit, the ice mage didn't let up, wrapping his arms around the smaller girl and rolling, slamming her into the hardwood floor.

"They're lucky Erza's not here," Happy tittered.

"I wish she were," Lucy groused. "I'm so tired of this,"

Lucy sighed again as she watched Gray slip out of submission hold Natsumi had on his arm, throwing out an elbow and caught his opponent under the chin and sent her flying backwards. She landed gracefully on all fours and sprang back, however, tackling Gray once again.

She'd just managed to get him into a choke hold when the guild doors opened.

The brawlers froze. Natsumi watched in shock and growing hope as the newcomers strolled in, a smile sliding onto her face.

Bickslow took the lead, sauntering in with all of his usual bravado, followed by Evergreen and Freed.

The girl frowned when she looked past them and failed to see the person she'd desperately missed for the past five weeks.

"Where is he?" she called to the Thunder Legion from her position on the floor.

"Who's this 'he' you're talking about? You're going to have to be a little more specific, Nat," Bickslow grinned. "And you might want to let go of Fullbuster. He's turning blue."

Looking down, she saw that Gray had indeed stopped struggling and gone a little purple in the face. She dropped him on the ground without preamble and stood up to face the tall man before her.

"Don't make me ask you again. Where. Is. Laxus?" she growled, advancing on the group, who'd stopped to witness the spectacle that was her fight with Gray.

Bickslow made a big show of looking around the guild, his mouth dropping open in mock confusion.

"I guess I don't know. Did we lose him, Freed? It's so hard keepin' track of that bastard."

Natsumi seized the knight by the front of his jerkin. "Tell me where the fuck he is or I will shove my foot up your ass!"

"Don't do it. He might actually enjoy it," a laughing voice drifted in from the doors as the person in question sauntered in.

She let go of Bickslow in favor of moving to watch him as he walked toward her. Her memories never did him justice. He always looked so strong, and when bathed in the morning sunlight, he really was at his best. With his coat billowing behind him and a giant, genuine smile on his face as he looked at her, he made her breath hitch.

That still didn't mean she wasn't pissed off at him, though.

"What took you so long?!" she yelled at him, putting her hands on her hips to glare more forcefully his approaching figure.

The smile melted off his face, instantly replaced by a look of resigned annoyance.

"Hello to you, too."

"Don't 'hello' me! You took forever!"

"Cross-country train rides take a long fucking time, okay? And why the hell are you complaining? I was only gone a few weeks, and we even took the night train to get here early!" he argued back with a glare of his own.

"That's no excuse!" she defended, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

Evergreen rolled her eyes. "Cut him some slack, Natsumi. If it makes you feel any better, he's been complaining nonstop for the last two weeks. He missed you, too." She then motioned for Freed and Bickslow to follow her to their table, ignoring Laxus's orders for her to shut her mouth.

Natsumi dragged her eyes back to Laxus, relaxing her aggressive posture.

"Is that true?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

He glared and looked away, but nodded.

She wasted no more time, launching herself into his arms. He caught her easily and pressed his lips against hers. Natsumi smiled into the kiss as he brought a hand into her hair to bring her closer. She'd missed kissing him, being close to him, just _him_ in general. Breathing in his dark, heavy scent, she felt the shard of tension that had burrowed inside the pit of her stomach with each day of his absence melt away. He was home.

He licked at her lips, and she yielded to him, allowing his tongue to familiarize itself once again with the inside of her mouth. Despite five weeks of separation, with him across the country and her on several smaller jobs of her own, his touch was as familiar as it always was, just as she'd remembered it when she laid alone at night, missing him beside her.

He hummed against her, nuzzling closer as he smiled as well.

"Get a room, freight train!" Cana yelled from the corner of the guild, causing snickers from those around her.

Laxus flipped her off, not bothering to look over at her, and the laughter grew.

"I should kill Lucy for getting me saddled with that goddamn nickname," he grumbled to her. She scoffed, leaning in to give him another chaste kiss.

"Even if it's kind of a compliment? Everyone thinks you're some kind of sex god."

He smirked at her. "That's because I am," he punctuated the claim with the wiggling of a scarred eyebrow.

She laughed, but didn't disagree. Natsumi was many things, but she wasn't a liar, and denying Laxus's sexual abilities would definitely qualify as a lie.

"Anyway," the lightning mage said, sneaking in another kiss before he set Natsumi on her feet, "are you ready to go?"

"You don't want to stay? You just got back."

"I didn't spend all night on a train so I could sit around with the same idiots that I just spent weeks with."

She smiled up at him, nodding. Sending a quick goodbye to Happy and Lucy along with a promise that she'd see them tomorrow, she let Laxus drape and arm over her shoulder and lead her out of the guild.

They walked sedately down the cobblestone streets of Magnolia, admiring the view as people began to start their days. No one paid them any attention as they passed, having long since grown desensitized to the sight of the Salamander and the Master's grandson walking silently together.

Natsumi breathed in the familiar smell of the city. She'd missed this. Before she realized her feelings for Laxus, she never imagined herself as someone who could enjoy relaxing. While she still preferred action to idleness, she could admit that she wouldn't trade the quiet moments spent with the man beside her for anything. She'd take them just as greedily as she took the thrill of fighting together or the amused anger of their arguments. He made her feel everything, from irritation to frustration to love, and she was grateful for it all.

He held her tighter as they came upon the apartment building nestled against the edge of the forest.

"Do you want to do the honors or should I?" he asked as they stopped in front of the door.

She shrugged. "I left my key at Lucy's."

Shaking his head, he moved his hand from her shoulders to fish out his own keys from his pocket. "I told you to stop doing that."

"The window feels better!" she defended as he unlocked the door.

When she heard the catch of the tumbler, she pushed open the door and walked into the apartment, passing through the kitchen to the living room, where she threw herself over the back of a large leather sofa.

"It's good to be back," she sighed, sinking lower into the softness of the cushions. "Staying with Happy and Lucy isn't the same."

He shrugged off his bag and coat, tossing them onto the kitchen table to follow her into the living room, towing off his shoes along the way. The blonde rested his elbows on the back of the couch, leaning over the dragon slayer with an affectionate smile on his face.

"You do know that you're allowed to stay here when I'm gone, right? It's your place, too."

She frowned, her eyes still closed. "Yeah, but I'm not used to being alone. It feels even lonelier to sleep here when you're not around. The bed feels too big. Plus, Happy would die if someone didn't rescue him from Lucy sometimes."

He laughed and walked around to the front of the couch so he could drape himself on top of her.

"Then I guess it's a welcome home for both of us," he said as he slid an arm around her waist and leaned down to claim her mouth.

"Who said you get a welcome home?" she mumbled against his mouth. "I'm still mad at you for being so late. You've never stayed gone that long."

Laxus pulled back from her mouth so she could talk, but went to work peppering kisses over the rest of her face and down her neck.

"I'm sorry, Nat," he said against her skin, not stopping his ministrations. "We got held up. We had to track a bunch of stragglers from a dark guild through the caves out west and it ate up a shitload of time."

He looked up at her, and saw that her frown hadn't relaxed. Moving back up, he pressed his forehead against hers, brushing their noses together.

"I won't stay away so long again. Not unless you're with me," he promised, looking into the dark pools of her eyes.

"I missed you," she whispered, and he smiled at her.

"And I missed you, too. So fucking much. Ever wasn't lying when she said I was a pain in the ass about it. By the end, I was just ready to say to hell with it and come back to you," he buried his face into her hair, not able to get close enough for his liking.

She sighed into him, bringing her hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders.

"Promise you won't take so long again?"

"Promise," he kissed her then, but she pulled back, not letting him in for more than the barest brush against her lips.

Hair splayed against the couch cushion, she looked up at him through her eyelashes. Laxus had never seen anything more beautiful. A gentle smile slid on her face, then.

"Then show me how much you missed me," she told him. He grinned, not about to deny her.

He wrapped his arms around her and stood up, taking her with him as he walked across their living room and shouldering open the door to that led to the bedroom. As soon as they crossed the threshold, he claimed her mouth, drawing her close as their tongues fought for dominance.

Laxus walked over to the bed, lying her down on it before straddling her. He wasted no time before he was tugging on her vest, helping her arms through the holes before moving on to the sash tied around her hips. Her fingers pushed his bangs out of his face as he planted kisses over her belly, and he smiled at her small yelp when he gave her hipbone a cheeky nip.

Natsumi's breathing hitched when he pulled away to throw her discarded clothes across the room and whip his own shirt over his head. She leaned up as more bare skin came into her view, licking at the exposed flesh. Pressing up against him, she felt him grow hard as she licked a wet trail from the space between his hipbones and stomach muscles up to his tattoo. He didn't let her continue her exploration, however. The blonde's arms pushed gently on her shoulders, sending her back to the mattress to kiss her again, harder than before.

She bucked against him, trying to make room so she could undo her chest wrappings. Without breaking the kiss, he slid his arms around her, guiding her back into an arch off the bed to allow him to loosen them. As soon as her dusky pink nipples were in view, he took one in his mouth, bringing a hand around to the one he neglected to massage it with gentle strokes.

Natsumi moaned at the treatment, rocking her hips into him and brushing her thigh against his still-covered erection. He let out a strangled noise and bucked his hips. His long shot out to flick against her hardened peak in retaliation.

Her hands traveled to his waistband, and she managed to get the button popped and zipper down despite her shaking hands. Laxus sucked in a breath as she stroked the base of his cock through his underwear with gentle fingers, and he leaned up once again to get his pants the rest of the way off.

As he did so, Natsumi sat up to watch him, heart slamming against her ribcage as the long, swollen shaft was revealed to her. Not taking her eyes away from the man before her, she quickly disposed of the loose wrappings that hung uselessly around her waist. She rubbed her legs together in anticipation, wanting him to hurry up. The wetness between her legs was already becoming uncomfortable, marking the insides of her thighs as she wiggled.

Noticing her actions, Laxus reached out and stilled her hips.

"I've got you," he whispered. He leaned over her and pulled at her scarf with his teeth, and she helped him pull it off and set it carefully aside.

She held her breath as he traced twin lines from her breasts to her hips and kissed her softly, ridding of her last article of clothing.

Natsumi didn't let him create any space between them, pulling him flush to her, feeling every line of him. They both sucked in a gasp as his erection nestled between her legs and rubbed against the wetness there.

He cupped the back of her neck, capturing her lips in a searing kiss as he rocked against her.

"God, I missed you so much," he whispered against her as she moaned.

The girl under him could only nod, the feel of his panting breaths making her dizzy. Her hips moved without her consent, trying to get him inside her as quickly as possible.

"Fuck," Laxus ground out, steadying her once more. "Let me go slow, okay?" he kissed down her neck, nuzzling into her hair. "Let me show you how much I love you."

The way his deep voice made his chest vibrate against her made Natsumi incapable of any thought. She could only nod and let him do what he wanted.

Finally, he lined their hips up, sliding into her slowly until he was fully seated within her, causing them both to moan loudly. Laxus set a slow, steady rhythm, rolling his hips into her lazily, planting wet kiss down the column of her neck.

"You feel so good," he whispered between kisses.

Natsumi whined, throwing her head back and clutching his shoulders. She could hear the erotic sound of him sliding in and out of her, and the thought made her hips stutter and her fingers press into the muscles of his back.

Laxus shifted slightly, sinking even deeper into her.

"I missed you every day," he panted as he guided her hips in time with his thrusts. "I miss the way you snore and the way you yell at me and I missed the way you _smell_." To drive the point home, he bit at the exposed skin at her throat and moaned when she clenched around him.

"I missed the way you smile at me and make me feel like the luckiest motherfucker on the planet."

"I missed the way you still can't brush your damn hair by yourself." He gave the tangled strands a gentle tug.

"It was hell trying to sleep alone," he licked the red mark he'd sucked into her skin, and she let loose a strangled moan. She wriggled underneath him as his words became too much for her. Natsumi wanted him to give her what she wanted, wanted him to fuck her hard and deep, but he only glided in and out of her languidly, rolling his hips at the height of his thrust so his pubic bone brushed against her clit.

He was so hot and hard inside of her, and _god_ , he just kept talking to her while he moved, taking her apart with his worshipful attentions. Her whole body was throbbing in time with the stroke of his hips, the rhythm of his kisses, and he only ever continued to take her slow. In. Out. In.

"And almost every night I'd jack off to the memory of the sounds you make when I'm inside you," he panted, "and it'd make me wish you were there with me."

Out.

"I thought about how you look at up at me with those eyes and tell me you love me,"

In.

"And I'd lose it every time."

Natsumi couldn't take any more. She reach up and yanked on his hair, pulling him up and smashing their mouths together in a bruising kiss. Darting her tongue out, she tasted blood, not sure if it was hers or Laxus's. The dragon slayer bucked her hips against his hold, wanting _more_. She whined when he pulled away, nearly completely out of her. However, when he slammed back into her with enough force to scoot them several inches up the bed, she wailed, falling apart under him, sobbing out her orgasm as he pounded into her.

At the feeling of her fluttering around him, clamping down in a vice-like grip, he followed her over the edge, emptying himself in her in sharp, stuttering rocks of his hips. He groaned, feeling the familiar tingling at the base of his spine that said he'd been completely spent. Knowing his arms were going to fail him at any point, he flipped them over so she lay splayed out on his chest with his softening erection still inside her.

The lightning mage smiled through his exhaustion, brushing back her hair from her face. She didn't move, content to lay on him in all her naked, boneless glory.

"Hey, Laxus?" she whispered, not looking up at him.

"Hmm?"

"I love you. I'm glad you're home," she yawned, nuzzling him

He smiled wider. Rubbing her back in long, sweeping strokes, he'd never been so glad to be back, never felt like he belonged anywhere more than here with her.

"I love you, too." He whispered back, even though she was already asleep.

That was fine, he thought, beginning to drift off himself. He'd have countless other days to remind her.

FIN

* * *

 **Note:** I'm not crying, you're crying. This has been such a wild ride, I swear. This was my first foray into writing fanfic, and honestly it's been so incredibly rewarding. I can't really promise that I'll have another story out, much less in a reasonable amount of time, but who knows? I can only say thank you again, and one last time, I'll ask you to drop a review if you feel so inclined. Not just for this installment, but I'd love to hear about what you thought about the story overall.

Much love to all of you,

Reindeerface


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